Cahills vs Vespers: The Shapeshifters
by The Cahill-Demigod Witch
Summary: CHAPTER 20 IS POSTED! / AU, post-Clue hunt, second series never happened. The Cahills are back, but it turns out the Clues weren't the only secrets in the family. What is this other, seemingly darker and more powerful secret? Are Amy and Dan once again the last ones to find out the truth? But being the last doesn't necessarily mean being the weakest, the most helpless... right?
1. Prologue

**One of those random ideas that popped into my mind at a random time… Oh, how I love randomness XD**

**Dedicated to**_**music is freedom,**_**who was always there to chat :) (By the way, check out her stories!)**

**Disclaimer: Once and for all, I do **_**not **_**own The 39 Clues. :((**

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><p><em>It all started in 1507, in the time of Gideon Cahill.<em>

_The Black Death was already killing hundreds. Gideon Cahill, an alchemist well-known for his kindness and perseverance in his quest of finding a cure for the plague, had just finished visiting his former friend and now enemy Damien Vesper._

_It was an ordinary day in the Cahill family home. Olivia and the children were busy doing household chores and all that, along with the assistance of their housekeeper Maria. Gideon was in his laboratory, conducting what seemed like the millionth experiment._

_Seeing that his latest test results weren't too good, he sat on the nearest stool, placed his elbows on the desk, and his head in his hands._

I cannot give up, _he thought._I must keep trying.

_Gideon raised his head and stared at the beakers and vials and all the other apparatus. He heard the soft sound of liquid dropping drop by drop, slowly…_

_His eyes quickly scanned the dark room, and he spotted the source of the sound. He stood and walked over to that set of glassware._

Wait, _he thought. _What's this?

_He intently watched the liquid drop and did some mental math. A smile slowly spread across his face._

"_This might work," he murmured. He took a notebook and restarted, energized with a new hope._

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><p>"<em>Father! Father!" twenty-three-year-old Luke Cahill whispered.<em>

_Gideon jumped at the sight of his eldest child. "Luke, what in the world are you doing here?" he demanded. "You aren't supposed to be here!"_

"_Scold me later, Father," Luke said breathlessly. "Vesper's coming!"_

"_What?" Gideon glanced around his laboratory. Damien couldn't possibly… but then again, this was Damien_Vesper. _He wouldn't let anything stop him from stealing Gideon's research._

"_I'm not lying!" Luke insisted. "Vesper's coming, and—"_

Boom! Boom! _"Open in the name of Lord Vesper!" a gruff voice commanded._

"_Quick, Luke, wake up your mother and siblings," Gideon told his son._

_Luke frowned. "But they won't trust me. They'll think—"_

"_Luke. Listen to me. You're the eldest, and you have to hold everyone together. Be strong. I believe in you," Gideon told him, holding his (Luke's) shoulders. "But there are some things I want you to give your mother and siblings."_

_He opened a drawer and pulled out six necklaces._

_Luke was surprised and confused. "Father, what are these?" he asked, holding one up._

"_All I managed to finish," Gideon replied. "Give the green one to Jane, the blue to Thomas, the yellow one to Katherine, the tiger's eye and diamond necklace to your mother, and the red one is yours. Go now, Luke. May God be with you."_

_His son nodded. "Y-you can count on me, Father," he promised. "I love you." He went back out of the laboratory, holding the necklaces._

_Gideon took a deep breath as the hinges of the other door to the lab shook. Vesper was almost in. If Luke made it, Olivia and the children would manage to escape._

Keep the necklaces and the ring safe, _he thought._

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><p><em>Luke held on to the hand of his youngest sister, Jane. "Come on," he said. "Just a little further!"<em>

_Katherine was helping their mother, Olivia, with Thomas's assistance. She glanced at her eldest brother. "Where's Father?" she demanded._

"_He's in the laboratory," Luke said, still holding the six necklaces which he hadn't shown to anyone—not even Jane—yet._

"_Save him!" Katherine cried. She was about to run to the lab, but Luke held her back with a viselike grip. "Luke, let me go! We have to save Father!"_

"_No," Luke said, his voice strained. "Katherine, Thomas, Jane, you have to trust me now. Just this once." He showed them the necklaces._

_Olivia came to them. "What are those, Luke?" she asked, glancing over her shoulder to see if Vesper had already broken into the lab._

_That was when the door broke. Olivia and the children gasped as Vesper and his men charged inside._

"_No," Olivia whispered._

"_No," Katherine cried._

_Luke pressed the green necklace into Jane's hand. "Keep this, my dear," he said. "Father's last gift."_

_Jane nodded, clutching it tightly._

"_Mother," Luke said. "Father wanted me to give you something."_

"_What is it?" Olivia asked._

_Luke brought out the diamond necklace and tiger's eye necklaces and gave it to his mother. She nodded and wore both of them. "I'll give Thomas and Katherine theirs," Olivia said, taking the remaining necklaces._

_He nodded and took his red necklace, made of ruby, he thought._

_Jane tugged his sleeve. "Luke? What are these for?" she asked._

"_I'm not sure, Jane," he admitted. "Father just told me to give them to you."_

_Olivia gave the blue necklace to Thomas and the yellow one to Katherine. "Wear them," she told her children. "This is your father's gift. It will keep you safe."_

"_How?" Thomas asked._

_Olivia pursed her lips. "He hasn't told me that yet, but he did say they would come in handy in the future."_

_Katherine's hands flew to her mouth as smoke started coming out from the laboratory. "Father!" she screamed._

"_Hush," Olivia said._

_Her daughter's eyes blazed. She glared at Luke. "You snake," she spat. "This was your idea! You took these necklaces and claimed that they were gifts from Father!"_

"_They are!" Luke insisted._

"_You started the fire, and look what you've done!" She pointed to their burning home. "Father is trapped inside with Vesper and his men!"_

_His hands balled into fists. "I don't care what you think, because I_am _telling the truth, what Father told me to say. It's your choice." He turned around and started to walk away._

"_Luke!" Olivia called._

_Tears stung Jane's eyes. "Luke, don't leave!" she cried._

_Luke ignored his favorite sister's pleas to return and continued walking. He wanted Katherine or Thomas to call for him, to apologize, but they never did._

One day, you'll see that you've made a grave mistake.

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><p><em>After Luke disappeared into the night, Jane stopped calling his name. She just sniffed and cried.<em>

"_Serves him right," she heard Katherine mutter._

_Jane's eyes widened and she stared up defiantly and angrily at her elder sister. "Look what_you've _done!" she shrieked. "Now Luke left, and_it's all your fault_!"_

"_Enough!" Olivia commanded. "Stop fighting!"_

_Hot tears streamed down Jane's cheeks. "I won't let Luke go alone," she whispered. "I'm going with him!"_

"_Then go," Katherine said without looking at her._

_Jane picked up her things and ran without a goodbye._

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><p><em>Luke and Jane were gone. Olivia hoped that Katherine and Thomas would stay too, but they got mad and decided to leave their "cursed" family.<em>

_She had begged her remaining children to stay, but they adamantly refused and left as well._

_Now she was alone. The sun had begun to rise, so she decided to inspect the ruins of her home._

_Olivia immediately headed to the laboratory. She made her way through the carnage, searching for her husband's body._

_She saw Gideon lying on the floor, his hair covered with soot (which sort of made him look younger) and looking as calm and relaxed as ever._

_She blinked back tears while sitting down and holding her dead husband close. Stroking his hair, she whispered, "They're gone now. All of them."_

_Looking up at the heavens, she imagined Gideon's face smiling down at her. "I wish you were here," she said softly._

_Olivia's hand touched her belly, where the unborn child was. "I will name you Madeleine," she decided. "You and I will preserve this place and bring our family back together."_

_She eased Gideon's head off her lap and took a shovel, getting ready to dig her husband's grave._

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><p><strong>I am pretty sure this sucked.<strong>

**Still… please review… I'm so lonely nowadays D: (Haha,**_**music is freedom, AUAnuborus18, PJOpinkypatrice333**_**)**

**I had to check**_**Vespers Rising**_**for that last part :)**

**Well, yeah, still, please review ;)**

**~Sam**


	2. Welcome

**Hi everyone…**

**I know I owe you guys big time because I didn't update. Just when I was on a trip (with not much time to write), I got a whole new idea that made me **_**replace **_**everything I had thought of for the old plot. So this is the new plot.**

**Let's say the second series never happened, but Evan's still around. This **_**is **_**fiction, right? :)**

**Besides, I couldn't really focus because I had to study for exams. Good thing they're all over. :))**

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><p><em>"I couldn't believe…" –Hey Daydreamer by somedaydream<br>_

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><p>Sixteen-year-old Amy Cahill was sick of her little brother; he wouldn't stop the noise. He didn't stop asking what Manila would be like. Or if she could teach him how to speak Filipino, the Philippine national language. Or what car they were going to ride.<p>

"Dan, can you just _please _wait and see?" she asked, getting irritated. "I don't know what Manila's like, I don't know how to speak Filipino, and I don't know what car we're going to ride!"

"Okay, okay!" said Dan. He leaned back against the airplane chair and looked out the window. Hundreds of little lights twinkled from below them, and he could just see the cars going along the streets. He could also see the airport: Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Terminal 3), which was in front of Resorts World Manila.

"Cool place," he murmured. "Amy, do you think we're gonna stay in one of those hotels?" he asked, pointing at the tower that read _Maxims._

Amy looked to where he was pointing and shrugged. "Maybe," she said. "But I don't think so."

He dared to ask again: "Who's going to take us to wherever we're gonna stay?"

"I don't know," she replied coolly. "But the plane just landed. We have to go."

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><p>After claiming their luggage, the Cahill siblings went to get something to eat (because Dan got hungry). Dan just took the final bite out of his sandwich when someone pounded him hard on the back, making him choke.<p>

"HEY, DAN-O, HOW'VE YOU BEEN?" a thundering voice hollered.

"Ha-ham-Hamilton Holt!" Dan managed to say. Once he was fine, he turned and grinned up at his athletic friend/distant relative.

"Yo, cuz! Welcome to the Philippines!" another familiar voice said.

"Jonah!" Dan's grin grew wider as he high-fived his rapper friend/another distant relative. "Wassup?"

Jonah Wizard grinned back. "You're getting the hang of it now, cuz! That's good!"

"AMY!" a third voice squealed.

Amy whirled around and gasped. "Sinead?"

The two girls ran to each other and hugged, squealing in delight. "Oh, it's so good to see you!" Sinead Starling exclaimed. "We've been waiting for hours!"

"Exaggerating!" Hamilton complained. "Just thirty minutes!"

"Look, yo, we have to go," Jonah said. "I can't believe these people don't know me!"

"Suck it up, Jonah," Hamilton muttered, and Dan grinned again. "We're not here to listen to you complaining."

Sinead frowned at both of them. "We're here to pick up Amy and Dan and take them to the Phoenix Mansion."

"The what?" Amy and Dan asked simultaneously.

"This isn't the time or place to explain," she said quickly. "The sooner we leave, the better. Let's go."

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><p>The drive from the airport to their destination was short and oddly silent. "We're here," Sinead said, and they all got out of the car.<p>

Amy and Dan found themselves facing a huge iron gate with gilded spikes and lined with silver. There were six images on the gate—snake, dragon, bear, wolf, phoenix, and tiger. Sinead tapped the dragon, and it asked, "What is written on Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem?"

She smiled. "'_Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure_'," she replied.

"Word for word!" The gate swung open to admit them.

She waved them forward and the gate closed. Suddenly, they heard a growl.

"W-what was that?" Amy asked nervously.

"Nothing," Hamilton said. "Well, you'll find out soon. Come on."

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><p>Amy and Dan were ushered into a huge room. It had a big circular table with many people, all of them familiar.<p>

"Amy! Dan!" An elderly man stood up, smiled, and held out his arms.

"Uncle Fiske!" The two rushed to their great-uncle and embraced him.

"Sit beside me," he said, sitting back down and gesturing to the two vacant chairs on either side of him.

Amy and Dan obeyed. Sinead sat beside Amy and the boys sat with Dan.

The mahogany double doors opened and seven girls entered. They seemed to be agitated.

Sinead moved closer to whisper in Amy's ear: "See that girl in front, the one holding a BlackBerry? That's Rachelle Kabra, Lucian, cousin of Ian and Natalie.

"The one after her holding a Ping-Pong ball is Joycelyn Bosconovitch, Ekat, a good friend of mine.

"Next is Nicole Kazama, Tomas, part-Japanese but mostly Filipino-Chinese, holding a volleyball.

"The one with a Nokia C3 is Jasmine Ong, Madrigal. She's also into volleyball.

"After her is Gabrielle Williams, Janus, with the iTouch and earphones. She doesn't really mind anyone or anything when she's listening to music. She's like Lois Sy, Janus-Madrigal, who's right behind her, but wearing headphones.

"The last one's Ysa Valdez. She's Lois' cousin, but Lucian-Madrigal. She's usually quiet, but she'll fight back when provoked."

Amy watched as the girls sat down together. Gabrielle and Lois pulled out their ear-/headphones. Nicole put away her volleyball. Joycelyn stopped bouncing the Ping-Pong ball.

"Let's start," Fiske said. "Representatives, you know my great-niece and nephew, Amy and Dan."

They nodded. "Welcome to the Shapeshifter Grounds, Princess Amy and Prince Dan," they said in unison.

Amy and Dan exchanged glances. Their eyes asked the same questions: _Shapeshifter Grounds? Prince and Princess? What's going on?_

"Explain later," Sinead muttered to her. "Now the meeting will start."

Fiske glanced at the Representatives. "Any updates on the Vespers?"

"We think they're up to something," said Ysa. She waved her hand and a piece of parchment appeared floating a few inches above her palm. With another wave, it vanished and reappeared hovering in front of Fiske.

He narrowed his eyes as he read. "Take another Guardian, one for each branch, to the Cave," he commanded.

Rachelle, Joycelyn, Nicole, Gabrielle, and Ysa left the room without another word, leaving Lois.

"What's the Cave?" Dan blurted.

Everyone looked at him. "Nobody told you?" Natalie couldn't help but reply.

"Well, yeah," he said. "And it would really help if you'd tell us _exactly what's going on_!"

"Yes, tell us," Amy added.

Fiske sighed. "In the year 1507, Gideon was working on a cure to save his family from the plague when he accidentally created the six amulets that are helping us now." He flicked his finger and six holograms of jewelry appeared. From left to right: a snake ring with rubies for eyes, a silver ring with sapphire and diamonds, an emerald necklace, a topaz necklace with a dragon, a diamond necklace, and something else the Cahill siblings didn't know.

"What's the last one?" Dan asked, nodding to the pendant beside the diamond.

"It's made of tiger's eye," Lois replied.

"Gideon Cahill made these himself," Ted Starling said, "so on the night of the fire, before Vesper and his men arrived, we all know that Luke sneaked into the laboratory. He gave these to Luke."

Ned continued the tale: "The red one went to Luke, the yellow to Katherine, the blue to Thomas, the green to Jane, the diamond to Madeleine (after she was born, of course), and the tiger's eye went to Olivia."

"Then Katherine accused Luke of starting the fire, la la la," said Natalie in a bored voice.

"It's not 'la la la'," Sinead sighed. "Since the founders frequently used their necklaces, most of the powers got transferred into them. That's why we can do what we do now. That's why we can do magic." She flicked her wrist and a mighty wind knocked one of the vacant chairs over.

Dan's jaw dropped. "Can you teach me how to do that?" he asked eagerly.

The Ekaterina smiled apologetically. "Different abilities for each branch," she explained. "Ekats control the wind." She pointed her index finger upwards and twirled it, making a miniature tornado appear.

"Lucians are fiery," Natalie Kabra said, extending her hand. Multicolored flames popped up on each of her fingertips.

"The Janus can control the earth," said Sophie Watson. She simply glanced at one of the potted plants and it shriveled up and died. She smiled, and it sprang to life again.

"The Tomas love water," said Reagan Holt. She moved her hand in a wavelike motion and water from her glass followed her actions till she led the water back to the container.

Amy frowned. "How about Madrigals?" she asked. "What can we do?"

"Watch Fiske," Ian suggested.

The Cahill siblings gasped as their great-uncle vanished into thin air and reappeared at the door, grinning. "We may not be 'enhanced', but we can transport ourselves and up to four other people can come along if necessary," he said. "And we can turn invisible." They watched as he winked out of existence, then rematerialized again.

"But there's another branch," Hamilton said. "For Muggles—that's what we call those who aren't Shapeshifters, yes, like Harry Potter—there are only five branches, but we Shapeshifters have a sixth branch: the Mixed Bloods."

"The Mixed Bloods are really strong," said Jonah, abandoning his gangster speech. "Their abilities depend on what branch's blood they have. Let's say Lois, for example: Janus-Madrigal, so she can control the earth and do what Fiske did."

Fiske sat back down and waved his hand. Immediately the pitcher of water filled the other glasses up. He waved his hand again and the glasses sent themselves to everyone who was there. "It's getting late," he said, looking at the wall clock that was labeled _MANILA_ (there was one for each time zone in the world). "Amy, Dan, we'll continue our discussion in the morning. Sinead, take Amy to her room, and Hamilton, take Dan to his."

As everyone stood, Dan and Amy caught each other's gaze right before they were led into different directions: _This sounds awesomely dangerous._

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><p><strong>Look, I'm so sorry, it's been four months and a day since I updated (well, "posted the first chapter of this fic" would be more like it). Exams were hectic.<strong>

**Again, terribly sorry for the wait (to those who put me on their Favorite Authors list, or put this story on Story Alert or Favorite Stories: YOU ARE AWESOME. YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH IT MEANS TO ME.), and this might be sort of rushed… well, forgive me because I finished this at 2 in the morning.**

**Really, guys, please review. Reviews make my day and they help me a lot. :)**

**~Sam**


	3. A Chat with Jaz

**I started this right after posting the previous chapter, because my friends (*cough*Jazmine*cough*Paolo) were asking when I'd be updating. **

**Special shout-out to my friends Jazmine, Ann Nicole, Paolo, and CJ! _Thanks for the great chats, fun ideas, and total randomness _:D This chapter's for you!**

**Thanks to those who reviewed (four so far, but it's better than none): Rouma Hassitt, Rosewolf Cahill, my good friend IceHeartEli, and SlytherinGurrl. **

**(Insert disclaimer here…)**

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><p>At eight o'clock in the morning, everyone who was present last night was already at the large dining table. Dan did a head count; they were twenty-eight, but there was one vacant chair at the opposite end of the table. "Who isn't here?" he asked, his voice echoing around the room.<p>

The only thing you could hear was the sound of utensils hitting the plates as they ate in complete silence. It was a miracle that the Holts were hushed too.

"That was where Grace used to sit," Fiske said quietly, "but she didn't visit anymore after her cancer got bad."

They resumed eating and stopped again when Amy asked, "Uncle Fiske? How much do Dan and I have to learn?"

His expression turned grave. "A lot," he answered simply. "The Kabras, the Starlings, Jonah, Sophie, the Holt children, and the Representatives will take turns teaching you. Boys teach Dan and girls teach Amy, naturally.

"You must learn both full and partial transformation," he went on. "And—"

"Uncle Fiske?" Dan interrupted. "Did you just say _transformation_?"

Rachelle explained: "Besides doing magic, we turn into animals. Lucians turn into snakes."

_Suits them well, _Amy and Dan thought.

"Ekats turn into dragons," Joycelyn said.

_Wow, _Dan thought as he tried to suppress a grin.

"Tomas turn into bears," said Nicole.

A moment of silence passed. Everyone stared at Gabrielle, who was nodding to whatever music that she was listening to. She reminded Amy and Dan painfully of Nellie.

When Gabrielle didn't notice that she was being stared at, Nicole pulled the earphones out and grabbed the iTouch. "Hey!" Gabrielle cried.

The Representatives' glares told her what was going on. "Oh, right," she said quickly. "Janus turn into wolves."

"Madrigals turn into phoenixes," said Jasmine.

"And Mixed Bloods turn into tigers," said Ysa.

"So we turn into phoenixes?" Amy was amazed.

For once, Dan understood his sister's amazement. "The myth says that they burn themselves to death then rise again from the ashes, right?" he asked.

"Yes, that's right," said Ted. "But once you guys catch fire, you won't rise from the ashes."

Fiske cleared his throat. "That's enough for now. Amy, Dan, feel free to explore the Grounds, but be back here at exactly twelve o'clock or your share of lunch will be gone."

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><p>Amy wandered outside the Phoenix Mansion and saw five other houses, all as tall as the Phoenix Mansion. There were Shapeshifters from all branches, all playing around like and <em>not fighting<em>, like an ordinary—Muggle—neighborhood.

"You wish this would happen to Muggles, don't you?" asked a cool, calm voice with a silky British-accent.

She whirled around and saw Ian Kabra smirking back at her. "Sort of," she replied, surprised at how she was able to manage to speak clearly under his mesmerizing gaze. "It's just… so much better."

"Most here like the same." He moved to stand beside her, eyes still intent on hers.

They watched the peaceful, happy Shapeshifter environment in silence, enjoying the cool breeze. "How many times have you been here?" Amy asked.

Ian shrugged. "Several."

"Is Manila a nice place?"

"Quite," he said. "But Cebu is much better."

"Where's that?"

He chuckled. "The Philippines has three major groups of islands. We're in Luzon. Cebu is in Visayas. The third is Mindanao."

"Oh," she said. "When did you go to Cebu?"

"Last year," he replied simply. "Rachelle accompanied us."

"She's your cousin, right?"

"Who told you that?" He sounded mildly surprised.

She smiled. "Sinead."

"Well, yes, that's true," he said. He wasn't looking at her anymore, but at a flame that he held in the palm of his hand. "Can _you _turn invisible?"

She shook her head.

"Ever tried?"

"No."

"You should learn how to master your abilities," he said. "It was quite clear to everyone during the Clue hunt that you and Daniel were the only ones who didn't know about your special strengths and about the Shapeshifters."

She felt a pang. She always did, when she was reminded of how out-of-place she and Dan felt during the Clue hunt, when they were the ones who knew the least about their family. "Well, it's not our fault nobody told us," she said, her calm tone becoming a cold, steely one. "Whenever we'd ask, we never got answers. They all died before we could _finally _ask." And before he could do anything else, she turned on her heel and walked away.

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><p>Amy wandered into the park and saw only a few people there. One of them was Jasmine Ong, the Madrigal Representative. She was playing with the same volleyball Amy had seen Nicole holding when they were at the meeting.<p>

"Hi," Amy said.

"Good morning, Princess," said Jasmine, catching the ball and turning it over and over in her hands.

"Why do all of you call me and Dan Princess and Prince?" she asked.

Jasmine shrugged. "We have to. Nobody told you yet?"

"Told us what?"

"The system, of course! But since you seem to really not know anything, I'll tell you," she said. "Why don't you sit down?"

Amy forgot that she was still standing and sat beside the Representative.

"Every branch has its leaders: King, Queen, Prince, and Princess, who are called Royalties," Jasmine began. "But they choose a Representative who, well, _represents _them in meetings, or goes off and does official/branch-related business for them. Your grandmother used to be the Phoenix Queen, and your mother was the Phoenix Princess till she died. Your father was never accepted into the Shapeshifter world."

"Why isn't Aunt Beatrice included?" Amy asked.

Jasmine smiled. "Not all Cahills are Shapeshifters, Amy. Look at the Tomas branch leader, Ivan Kleister: He ain't a Shapeshifter. It's rare for everyone in a family to be Shapeshifters, like the Kabras. Usually only one or two Shapeshifters are born into a family. Look at Ysa, for example; she ran away from home because she's the only Shapeshifter."

"What? She ran away?"

"That's not my story to tell, it's hers," she replied simply. "You can ask her if you want to, but now, we have to get back, or we won't be able to eat lunch."

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><p>Lunch was a cheerful event. Everyone was laughing, talking, and clearly having fun… till Fiske tapped his glass with his knife several times to get everyone's attention.<p>

"I've just received a message from Evan and Nellie, who are busy working at the control center," he announced. "Voldemort and the Death Eaters are back in action."

Whispers of rage, annoyance, and anger broke out. "Silence!" the Phoenix King ordered, and everyone obeyed.

"Voldemort and the Death Eaters… the Vesper leader and his minions?" Dan guessed.

"Very good, Dan," said Fiske with a smile. "Yes, that's our name for them, even if just saying 'the Vespers' is simpler and quicker. The Vespers are sending their Shapeshifters out, and they're getting ready to attack."

"They have Shapeshifters too?" Amy exclaimed in shock.

"Sure they do," said Hamilton Holt. "Damien Vesper sort of stole Gideon's idea. But don't worry, the animals are totally different. They've got panthers, cheetahs, falcons, dogs, ospreys, and hawks."

"Whereas we only have two creatures of the air and four on land," said Alistair.

Fiske waited for the noise to die down before continuing: "Representatives, you'll take turns teaching Amy and Dan on partial and complete transformation. Princes and Princesses, teach them on elements. Make up a schedule that will work for everyone. Are we clear?"

"Yes, sir," said the Reps, Princes, and Princesses.

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><p><strong>Oh, danger… the Vespers are coming... <em>dun dun dun<em>...**

**If you review, you get a free review from me in return. That's a promise ;)**

**Yes, I am totally obsessed with the Harry Potter series, that's why the code names are from the said series. :D**

**[Sorry if it's sort of rushed/bit short, but I still hope you liked it.]**

**~Alix Jade**

**P.S. : All my stories (besides this one, of course) are now officially on _hiatus_. Sorry guys :( but I promise I'll get back to them when this story reaches its epilogue.**


	4. Partial Transformation

**I started this chapter right after I posted the third one. :) hehe I was hyper…**

**Oh, and thanks to those who reviewed. PM me when you want me to review, and I'll get to it. ;)**

**Disclaimer: You know what I'm gonna—and supposed to—say, so I guess I don't have to say it again.**

**Here goes… chapter three (because the first one's the prologue/how it all began ;))!**

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><p>Amy and Dan's training started the day after Fiske had made the fateful announcement of the Vespers' rise to activity. They would be trained separately and in separate places by those people who were their close friends.<p>

Their training commenced after breakfast. Amy was going to be with Ysa, who was going to teach her about partial transformation (because everyone said that she was good at it), while Dan was going to be with Hamilton, who was going to be his mentor in controlling water. After her session with Ysa, a fifteen-minute break would follow, then Reagan would come along to help her with water.

Amy still remembered her conversation with Fiske after dinner:

"_Uncle Fiske, Madrigals can only do what you did during the meeting, right? Why do we have to learn the elements too?" she asked._

_He smiled kindly at her and replied in a calm, conversational tone, "Trust me, it will help you greatly. Look at Grace, she was able to do it. Why can't you?"_

"_She… she could?" Amy wasn't that surprised, though. She already knew her grandmother was an extraordinary woman and did a lot of things ordinary people couldn't (or didn't) do in their lives._

_He sighed. "You know, I was offered the chance to be taught how to control all four elements, but I turned it down. Now I realize it was a big mistake. Don't do what I did, Amy, because it was really wrong. Go on now, you have to wake up early tomorrow so you can start your training."_

She made her way to the backyard. The sky was painted with the bright colors of sunrise, as it was only seven in the morning when breakfast finished. When she arrived, she saw a Siberian tiger lying down on the grass. It seemed to be asleep.

Amy then recalled what Ysa had said during yesterday's breakfast: "Mixed Bloods turn into tigers." She smiled, but was still cautious as she approached the tiger.

It opened its eyes once she was around twenty steps away and sat up. Then a silver wisp of smoke shot out from one side, and another wisp (but this one was red) curled from the other side and intertwined with the silver mist, and in a few moments, the Mixed Blood Representative appeared, sitting cross-legged on the grass. "Good morning, Princess," she greeted cheerfully.

"Good morning," Amy replied. "Wait, who's going to teach my brother?"

"Jasmine," Ysa answered. "Well, please sit down."

The Princess complied and beside the Representative. "Nobody ever told you about the Shapeshifters till now?" she asked, eyes fixed on the sky.

"No," Amy said.

"I'll admit it will be a tricky task to train you," Ysa said. "Shapeshifters are best trained when young, because that's when they absorb everything. I found out when I was nine."

"How old are you now?"

"Sixteen. So I've been a Shapeshifter for seven years, but I only became a Representative two years ago." She sighed. "Which do you want to learn first, partial transformation or complete transformation?"

"Which is easier?" Amy inquired.

"Partial, of course." Ysa stretched, and Amy noticed that her nails briefly became claws, like how a cat's would when it would stretch. "All you have to do is focus on a strong emotion or memory, like the night your parents died, for example."

"Who told you about that?"

The other girl shrugged. "Queen Grace told us everything. Now, let that strong feeling, thought, or whatever flow through you. Don't stop thinking about it till you feel something."

"What memory do you use?" Amy asked.

Ysa's eyes immediately turned yellow, like a tiger's, and her nails grew longer again. But it was the obligation of every Representative to answer to a Royalty, so she was forced to say, "The day I was kicked out of my home.

"I'm the only Shapeshifter in my family. I couldn't sleep during the full moon because of this strange thirst for blood. That feeling got the better of me and I sneaked out of my room to my sister's.

"I was the only one awake. It was odd how quietly I could walk, as if I was a ghost." She chuckled, but there was no humor in her voice. "When I reached my younger twin's room, she was fast asleep, like everyone else. I noticed my eyesight sharpened. Something was pressing against my lower lip, and when I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror, my eyes were bright yellow and my teeth grew longer, like fangs."

She took a shaky breath. "I remember my hand reaching out towards my sister's throat… couldn't control it… her eyes widening… her gasp, her scream… how her hands endlessly tried to get mine off her…" She shook her head, and her eyes and nails returned to normal.

"Our parents immediately rushed in and saw me pinning Lucille—that's her name—to the wall. I can still hear her choking… her weak voice, begging me to let her go… Dad placed his hand on my shoulder and threw me back with it, slamming _me _against the wall so hard that everything shook… then they yelled at me to get out… leave the house, leave their lives, and I quickly did so."

The Representative's chocolate-colored eyes sparkled with tears as she looked up to face the morning sun. "So I ran away from home, and thanks to this ancient journal I found in the attic, I was able to make my way here." Ysa looked at Amy. "That's the story behind it. That's what inspires me to do my duty well. I want to _prove myself_. I want them to _be proud of me._" A small, humorless smile crept across her face. "Well, enough about me, and let's get started."

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><p>Two hours, three glasses of water, a cool breeze, and tons of memories later, Ysa pulled a mirror out of her bag and handed it to Amy. The Madrigal gazed at her reflection and gasped; her irises had turned gold, and metallic silver lines curled around her eyes, as if someone had painted them on.<p>

"Whoa!" Amy yelped.

Ysa beamed. "Your eyes look amazing, Princess!" she remarked. "You know… you'd look amazing for the Christmas Ball!"

"What?"

The Representative's smile grew wider. "The Christmas Ball, of course! Held every year on December 24, it includes the _Noche Buena _feast—that's our term for _Dinner before Christmas Day_—and ends at midnight with a mass exchange-gift among _all _Shapeshifters! And of course we light up each branch's Christmas tree and massive _parols _made by each branches!"

"What are _parols_?" Amy asked.

"Star-shaped lanterns," Ysa replied. "We hang the _parols_ outside each of the Mansions and light them up at the same time. It's a shame you missed the previous celebrations; they were awesome. But we Reps—yes, we're the organizers—will make sure that you and Prince Dan will have _the _most memorable Christmas celebration you've ever had!"

"Shouldn't you be teaching Amy how to transform, Ysa?" a voice hissed.

Amy gasped; right beside Ysa was a snake all too familiar to the Phoenix Princess: a taipan. "Y-Ysa, look o-out," Amy whispered.

Ysa glanced down beside her. "Oh, it's all right, Princess," she said airily. "It's just Prince Ian."

Red wisps of smoke circled the snake, and in a few moments Ian Kabra appeared, flat on his stomach on the grass. He quickly got up and dusted himself off. "I guess I should take over," he told Ysa, but his voice hinted that his statement had another meaning.

"Of course," Ysa said. She stood, gave two quick bows to both Amy and Ian, and disappeared.

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><p><strong>Cliffhanger? Yes? No? Maybe? Don't know? Sort of?<strong>

**Sorry if it's shorter than previous chapters. Took me around three days to finish this, well, whatever xD**

**Okay, so I got seven reviews for Chapter Three (A Chat with Jaz): one from Reginaa2111, two from my friend/classmate Paolo, one from SlytherinGurrl, another from Rosewolf Cahill, one IceHeartEli (offline), and one from AUAnuborus18 (offline). **_**Thanks a lot, just PM me when you want your review (and which story too). **_**:)**

**Oh, and Merry Christmas to all of you around the world! :D**

**By the way… since everyone's still got the Christmas feel, be sure to expect a lot of Christmas things in the next chapter! Well, please keep the reviews coming. Constructive criticism is welcome, flames are not, smiley faces (and all those related to smileys) are very much welcome too!**

"_**Mischief never managed!" **_**–me**

**~Sam**


	5. Let the Ball Begin!

**Okay, the last time I checked, I only have two reviews for the previous chapter. Maybe because everyone's still out and hanging with family. It's alright, I know, it's Christmas, that's why this chapter is Christmas-themed! :)**

**This chapter is dedicated to **_**music is freedom**_**, **_**The Girl of the Moon, **_**and **_**IceHeartEli**_** ;)**

**[Do I have to say the Disclaimer again?]**

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><p>Amy was shaken awake at seven-thirty in the morning. She opened her eyes and found a pair of bright amber eyes staring back at her. "Wake up, wake up," Natalie Kabra told her quickly.<p>

"Whaaaat?" Amy yawned.

"Wake up, Amy!" The Snake Princess let out an irritated sigh. "Don't you know what today is?"

"Um… no," the Madrigal decided.

"The day before Christmas, and the day of the Christmas Ball!" Natalie made a disapproving sound. "Well, you and Daniel fell asleep before everyone else, and we didn't want to wake you up, so I guess you don't know. Get up and get dressed, because we have a _lot _of things to do before the Ball starts!"

* * *

><p>The Royalties and Representatives ate a merry breakfast and wouldn't stop talking about the Christmas Ball. Fiske cleared his throat, and everyone fell silent.<p>

"Tonight is the Christmas Ball. We've already picked exchange-gifts by writing the names of a whole lot of Harry Potter characters, thanks to Lois and Ysa," he said, and the cousins high-fived. "Each Shapeshifter has a Harry Potter codename, from names of house elves to the four Houses."

Cheerful, excited whispers and mutters filled the dining hall once more, and the Phoenix King clapped his hands for silence. "I expect the Guarding Charms to be stronger than ever, now that we have Amy and Dan with us, for a safe yet merry Christmas Ball, just like the previous Balls." He waved his hands and the plates vanished. "Let the preparations begin!"

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><p>The Representatives and Royalties sprinted out of the Phoenix Mansion at top speed and to the other Mansions (Snake, Dragon, Bear, Wolf, and Tiger) to remind them about the <em>parol<em>-lighting and to have their gifts (for the exchange-gift part) ready. Only Jasmine remained, helping Amy, Dan, and Fiske with the decorations. The other Madrigals had arrived and started decorating other parts of the Phoenix Mansion as well.

"You know, Queen Grace was always active during this time," Jasmine said. "She always led us in singing Christmas songs and even made us treats. Like eggnog."

Amy and Dan exchanged glances. _Grace made us eggnog too, when we were still in Attleboro. _They didn't notice when they said (at the same time), "We miss Grace so much."

"All of us do," said Fiske, who was overseeing a group of Madrigals who were working on a giant _parol_. "And we hope we win the lantern contest, because last year, the Tomas won."

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><p>Meanwhile, in the Tiger Mansion, Lois was having a little trouble trying to convince Ysa to eat some cookies. "They're really delicious," the Janus-Madrigal said. She pushed the plate towards her cousin. "Here you go."<p>

Ysa shook her head. A tear made its way down her cheek, and she quickly wiped it away with the back of her hand.

"You're still thinking about Aaron, aren't you?" Lois asked.

She nodded.

"He's gone. He left of his own free will—heck, that's why it's called a _free will_!" Lois exclaimed. "Ysa, he isn't coming back, even if you want him to. Look, no matter what you do, he'll still be gone. You'd better stop thinking about him for once. It's _Christmas, _for goodness' sake!"

The Lucian-Madrigal picked up one of the cookies, looked at it, and took a bite. "Where did you get these?" she asked.

"Uh… I don't know," Lois admitted. "It was just there on your place at the table in our Mansion. Selene gave it to me once I got in."

Ysa's eyes narrowed. "Was there a note or anything?"

"Oh, right." Lois rummaged around in her pocket and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper, which she handed to her cousin. "It's all boxes and stuff."

"That ain't boxes," Ysa said, her eyes turning yellow. "That's the Pigpen Cipher!"

"Then de_cipher_ it," Lois said.

"Easy. 'Meet me at hedge maze, six o'clock and no later'." Her eyes lit up. "Only one person would send me this."

"Aaron," Lois sighed. "But are you using your head? The Christmas Ball _starts_ at _six_! Nobody can be absent, especially us!"

"That's why there are _two _Mixed Blood Reps," Ysa said. "If one's out, the other's still there."

"But this is the _Christmas Ball._ King Fiske will _kill _you if you're absent!"

Ysa glanced at the note and pulled out her cell phone. "Then a meeting can wait."

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><p>At six o'clock, the sound of magical bells rang throughout the Shapeshifter Grounds. Shapeshifters from all ages, races, and branches emerged from their Mansions and headed to the <em>magically <em>enlarged Phoenix Mansion, where the Christmas Ball would be held.

Once everyone was outside, the double doors of the Phoenix Mansion swung open, and the voices of the Royalties and Representatives called, "Merry Christmas!"

The Shapeshifters yelled back a hearty, "Merry Christmas too!" and made way as each Royalty and Representative descended the large staircase in the middle of the Great Room (the really big living room).

The Kings and Princes came first. The Kings wore coats and ties (tie color depending on their branch's color), and the Princes wore tuxedos. They stood to the side, waiting for the others.

The Queens came next. Yasmeen Badawi, the Dragon Queen, came first. She wore a strapless yellow floor-length dress with sparkly diamonds, and gold jewelry (which, apparently, also had diamonds).

Mary-Todd Holt, for once, looked great in her blue satin dress. It reached the floor and was diagonally pleated, with an embroidered and beaded top and there were also plant-like designs sewn onto the hem. She also wore sapphire and silver jewelry.

Cora Wizard followed, in a deep green halter dress with a wide band of crystals (or sparkling beads) around the waist. It lightly brushed the floor and had a train. Emeralds and diamonds glittered on her bracelets, earrings, and purse.

After the Wolf Queen, the Princesses came down. Natalie was wearing a red floor-length (actually, all of the female Royalties and Representatives were wearing floor-length dresses) dress that was pleated and ruffled, but each layer seemed to be made of different fabrics (one of the layers had lace and embroideries). A gold snake watch inlaid with rubies shone on her arm.

Dragon Princess Sinead wore a pretty yellow dress with several diamonds on the hip, making the dress layered. The top of the dress was lined with diamonds, and a band of diamonds circled her waist.

The upper part of Reagan's midnight blue dress was practically shimmering with crystals. There was a line of sparkly white stones around the waist, and the skirt had some diamonds on it too, making it look sort of like the yellow dress (with Reagan's dress being the blue version, of course) Belle wore in _Beauty and the Beast_. She also wore some silver bracelets.

Madison's dress had a lot of embroidery and beading, starting from the top and coiling around to almost the hem. It had a full skirt with billowing pick-ups, and fit her quite well. Sapphire and silver earrings dangled from her ears, and silver bracelets adorned her arms.

Flowers with the same color as the fabric of Sophie's green dress were easy to spot on the upper part. Black lace fanned out from the top, and it was pleated and had a lot of layers. It bounced a bit whenever she took a step, and she also carried a small black purse.

All Shapeshifters were amazed to see Phoenix Princess Amy in her simply elegant white dress. The top was completely sprinkled in crystals and sequins, and a white skirt (made of tulle) fell from the waistline and lightly brushed the floor. After she reached the bottom of the staircase, the Princesses stood beside the Princes, and they all waited for the Representatives.

Rachelle's red dress' top was sparkling with beads, and so was its waistline. Three rosettes were placed several inches above the knee, holding some of the fabric in place to create a sort-of diagonal pleat. A ruby snake watch just like Princess Natalie's sparkled on her left arm.

Joycelyn's dress was yellow with spaghetti straps. One of the straps had two flowers on it, and the upper portion had embroidered on it, and a lot of beads that trailed off in random waves. More embroidered flowers and stems followed. A gold charm bracelet glinted on her wrist.

Nicole wore a royal blue satin/lace halter dress whose top was glinting with shiny beads. Exactly below the point where the two straps (which made the dress a halter-type one) intersected, a mass of shiny beads formed a small oval. A diagonally pleated/layered skirt fell from the waistline, and there were more beads on the lace portion. Lapis lazuli stones decorated her bracelets and earrings.

Beads, crystals, and sequins encircled the waist of Gabrielle's fairly plain and simple yet pretty dark green gown. It was slightly ruffled, and it was pleated, like the other dresses. Her silver earrings with emeralds matched perfectly.

The halter straps of Jasmine's floor-length metallic gray dress had a lot of beads on them, and so did the neckline. Although it wasn't pleated, it had a gathered side and a jeweled brooch at the side hip. A white enamel snake bracelet with shiny, pear-shaped onyx eyes shone on her wrist.

Lois' dress was green and made of two different fabrics. The top was shiny and smooth (probably satin or taffeta) and the neckline was lined with shiny beads. It was parted at the side and was held in place by jewels. The lacey part (lower portion) of the dress had complex-looking but elegant designs sewn onto the fabric. She wore a necklace, the pendant being a golden owl with white diamonds and a large black one in the middle.

Ysa was the last to come down. She was wearing a white dress that was embellished with many beads and embroidered designs. A line of beads encircled the waist, and a full-length skirt fell to the floor. It looked like the skirt of Reagan's dress (but it was the white version). She also wore what seemed to be a small golden bird with a ring around it, and the bird held an arrow in its beak.

The Representatives curtsied to the Royalties, then proceeded to lead the Shapeshifters to the dining area.

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><p>Once everyone was seated, Fiske stood, and silence filled the room. He spoke in a clear, strong voice, the same tone that Amy and Dan heard him use whenever they were talking about important things, like Vespers: "Christmas is only a few hours away. I expect all of you have your gifts to give?"<p>

Everyone murmured (or muttered) assent.

"Well then, if that's so, let the feast begin!" A radiant, kind, and wide smile spread across the Phoenix King's face as he waved his hands, and the food appeared.

* * *

><p>When everyone was settled and busy talking, drinking, eating, and basically having fun, Ysa politely excused herself from the table the Royalties and Representatives shared and left. She shot a glance at Lois, who nodded, then she left.<p>

Ysa burst through the French doors that were just outside the kitchen. There were three paths: the one on the left led to the gardens, the one on the middle would take you to the swimming pool, and the one on the right led to the yard. She took the path on the right.

The stars were twinkling like diamonds in the night sky, but still inferior to the glow of the moon. She checked her cell phone and hissed; it was already thirty minutes past six. Well, she told him to wait for one more hour (from six o'clock to seven o'clock), so there was no problem.

She walked faster. Six-forty-five (well, the walk was quite longer than she remembered). _Almost there, almost there, almost there… _

Finally, at six-fifty, she reached the meeting place. She was standing at the entrance to the hedge maze, waiting and feeling the cool breeze gently brush her face. _Where is he?_

But even her sharp predator's senses weren't enough to prepare her to be pulled into the maze.

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><p><strong>Thank goodness I'm done! I hope the descriptions of the dresses are okay… but don't worry, in a few days, I'll be posting the links of the dresses on my profile. <strong>

**Oh, please review~ the deal still stands. Now I know that describing sixteen dresses is not one of my strengths.**

**-Sam**


	6. Hey, Traitor

**Okay, hi :) So sorry for the late update: writer's block, and just when I finally got my idea back, it was time for me to eat dinner -.-**

**Just to let you know, the links of the Queens', Princesses', and Representatives' dresses are already on my profile. Feel free to check them out. **

**Thank you to **_**fieryjunior35, luverinreadin, 39cluesgal**_** , and **_**Cookie Van S **_**for your reviews! **

**Random question: Who here likes One Direction?**

**Disclaimer: Yes, I am fully aware that I don't own The 39 Clues, and so are you, so let's get this over with, shall we? :)**

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><p>Lois was worried. She kept on glancing out the windows, turning her head whenever a door opened or when she heard footsteps, but her cousin still didn't come back.<p>

They were about to dance. According to tradition, the dance was led by the Royalties and Representatives dancing with each other, but due to constant persuasion and undying determination, Fiske had (reluctantly) exempted the Representatives from the dance, but they were had to be there.

Once the plates were cleared and everyone was back in the Great Room, waltz music began to play. The Kings and Queens went first, coming from different sides of the room and meeting at the center. Fiske just sat down with Amy and Dan.

Lois was still on the lookout for Ysa. _Where the heck could that Potterhead be?_

* * *

><p>Meanwhile in the hedge maze, Ysa was already screaming, but her cries for help were muffled by the hand that clamped her mouth shut.<p>

She didn't stop, even when she moved and elbowed whoever was holding her in the ribs. He (by the sound of the howl of pain that followed) released her and fell to the ground. She whirled around and her eyes became yellow—her tiger eyes—so she could see her "abductor" better.

"That hurt, you know!" he cried.

She gasped and her eyes widened. _"Aaron?" _she exclaimed in surprise.

"I did say that I wanted to see you here, right?" He stood up and winced. "Since when the heck did your elbows get so sharp?"

She grinned despite his statement. "Now I'm sure it's you."

"Really? How about you ask me a question… just to be _really _sure," he suggested.

"Okay then." She racked her brain for a good question. "What was the last thing I told you left me here?"

"You called me a traitor and wished that I'd go to hell," he answered gravely.

"Very good. Hi, traitor. What do you want?" she asked, folding her arms across her chest.

* * *

><p>After the traditional First Dance (the dance led by the Royalties), the other Shapeshifters started dancing. The Representatives still stayed away and didn't dance; they just got some snacks and drinks and sat with each other, talking and giggling.<p>

Lois stood up and left to look for Ysa. She passed exactly where her cousin did—out the French doors, rightmost path, walk straight for twenty minutes, and reach the entrance to the maze.

The hedge maze was at least three times larger than a full-grown adult. The Shapeshifters used the maze for group training or when they wanted to play games (like hide-and-seek; well, some things don't change).

She heard a rustling in the bushes. The Janus-Madrigal whirled around and heard voices. "So why didn't you show up before?" a very familiar female voice demanded.

_Hey, that's Ysa! _Lois thought. She dared to poke her head into the maze and stopped herself from gasping; Ysa wasn't alone.

In front of the other Mixed Bloods Representative was a very good-looking boy with tousled black hair, pale skin, and obsidian eyes. His arms were folded across his chest, and he was casually leaning on the hedge wall. "Hello, Lois," he said.

She was great at hiding her emotions, but she couldn't disguise her surprise at her cousin's appearance. "Aaron?"

He looked between her and Ysa. "That was exactly what she said," he informed Lois.

"That's because we're totally alike," Ysa said.

The Lucian-Madrigal knew that she had hit a nerve. Aaron gave the slightest of winces.

"So, what do you want?" Lois asked.

"Nothing, really," he said airily. "I thought it would be nice to see you again."

Ysa gave a humorless chuckle. "It's a miracle! When did you think of that?" she asked, sounding eager but actually the total opposite.

Now Aaron was totally uncomfortable. He was shifting from foot to foot. "When I saw you in your school," he said simply. "I was wondering if you were still studying, and found that you were."

"Wow," Lois said sarcastically. "Of course we're studying! What did you think, we'd do what you did? We don't idolize you. We don't even _like _you. Plus, you're a very bad example."

Aaron was silent for a few moments. Ysa and Lois exchanged small smirks.

"Look, I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have left you. I—I was just so tempted."

Ysa put on her most intimidating look, which no one—not even Aaron—was immune to. "Oh, really? What tempted you?"

"The power, of course," he said. "I really wanted to get back at Mom, Dad, and Lucille. I just thought they could help. And they've taught me a lot."

"Really? Like what?" she asked.

"Like this one: Cahills are weaklings so whoever joins them are weak as well," he said, regaining his composure and sounding a bit angry and irritable.

Lois was about to react, but Ysa was faster. Ysa's hand cracked across Aaron's face like a whip, and he staggered back. "How dare you," she hissed. "Don't forget, Aaron, you're a Cahill too, no matter what you do."

With a sigh, Lois said, "Well, I won't listen to this crap anymore. I'm going." She harrumphed and headed out of the hedge maze.

Ysa scowled at Aaron. "Is this what you've learned? Is this what you're so proud of? I'd be ashamed if I were you!"

"That's because you're too weak to understand true power," he snapped. "The Cahills will fall sooner than you think, Ysa. And when they do—don't worry, you're more than welcome to join us." And with a final gaze filled with loathing and contempt, he vanished.

* * *

><p>Ysa reappeared at the Great Room. Everyone was still dancing and music was still playing. She quickly wiped away the tears that had appeared on her cheeks before anyone else could notice. How many times did she try? How many times did she cry? A million. Two million.<p>

This wasn't her brother. The Aaron she knew was cheerful and kind, not harsh and cold. She turned away from the crowd and watched the clouds slowly cover the moon instead.

_BOOM!_

The music stopped. Everyone was running out of the Phoenix Mansion, and the smell of smoke filled the air. The Representative whirled around. Sprinklers had gone off, and everyone was screaming. She ran out too.

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><p><strong>Yep, I think this is enough for now. :)<strong>

**I know I haven't updated in a long time… but I've been really busy (stupid Saturday classes even if they're only until March!).**

**Anyway, please review. I was supposed to update last week but my dad told me to go eat dinner D: Such great timing.**

**-TCDW**


	7. The Journals

**Big thanks to **_**amianfan102, fieryjunior35, Cookie Van S, **_**and **_**39cluesgal **_**for reviewing! :)**

**I have a feeling that I've said this before… this story is post-Clue Hunt; let's pretend that the second series never happened. (Chill, people. It's just fiction.)**

**Disclaimer: I only own Ysa, Aaron, title, summary, and plot.**

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><p>"<em>Don't you dare look out your window; darling everything's on fire." –Safe and Sound by Taylor Swift (feat. The Civil Wars)<em>

* * *

><p>Amy couldn't help but think back to the night her parents died during the house fire; everything was blazing while people were screaming for their families and running for her lives.<p>

No matter what commands she sent to her mind, she couldn't get her legs to move away from the burning fire. She was about to try again when someone grabbed her arm and yelled, "Move!"

_Ian?_

Yes—it was the Snake Prince, leading her away from the burning Shapeshifter Mansions. "What's wrong with you?" he asked as they arrived at a safe spot under an oak tree. "If I hadn't dragged you away, a piece of the roof would've crushed you!"

"Wh-what's going on?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Everything's on fire," he said simply. "Can't you see?"

She looked up and gasped. All six Mansions were ablaze. Shapeshifters were running out, out of their Mansions, and out of the Grounds. "Where's everyone else? Are they okay?"

"Everyone's leaving, of course," he answered. "Rachelle sent me a message telling me that they're fine and waiting for us."

* * *

><p>Ysa tried calling again and again, but Aaron never picked up. She and Lois already knew that he had started the fire. He had destroyed the homes of around two hundred Shapeshifters, killed their loved ones, and rendered them powerless.<p>

All seven Representatives were agitated. "We should stay in partial transformation, no?" Gabrielle suggested.

"I don't need to," Rachelle said. "Venom runs in all Lucians' blood. One bite is fine."

"It's either full or human for me," Jasmine sighed.

"And me," said Joyce.

"And me," said Nicole.

"We can stay in partial transformation," Lois said. "Eyes and nails. Just tell everyone we're wearing contact lenses."

"Good excuse," Ysa said as she finally gave up on calling Aaron. "I'm sure more or less a hundred were killed."

"Oh no," Gabrielle said. "Since all Mansions were destroyed, so were the Founders' Charms!"

"Yes, and in short, we'll be officially powerless 12:01 a.m. onwards," Lois said gravely, and they all flinched.

* * *

><p>After an hour, the Royalties arrived. "Is everyone alright?" Fiske asked.<p>

"Yes, sir," they said.

"How many made it?" Sinead asked.

"Most," Hamilton answered. "So we're not only powerless, but homeless as well."

"You said you were sure a hundred died!" Gabrielle told Ysa.

The Lucian-Madrigal shook her head and said, "No, I said _more or less a hundred_."

"Oh. Okay then." The Janus sighed with relief.

"So where will we go?" Jasmine asked. "All the other Cahills are on the other side of the world. We don't have the money, nor do we have the time to go there."

"We'll have to stay here," Nicole concluded. "Why don't we get tents or something? Just so we can stay alive. How much does everyone have?"

They all began to check their wallets. "Enough to survive," Ysa and Lois said together.

"Amen to that," everyone else said.

"I think this will be enough to feed all survivors," Natalie said. "We should get started."

* * *

><p>At three in the morning, everyone was up. It was agreed upon that Amy, Rachelle, Natalie and Sinead would go to the nearest fast-food outlet, order breakfast, and bring it to the Royalties and Representatives. (The other survivors were staying with their relatives.)<p>

The nearest was McDonald's, so the four went there. Rachelle fell in line while the other three found a small table and waited.

"Are we really powerless?" Amy asked, too stunned to believe that right after just three days of living in the Shapeshifter Grounds, she had already lost the powers that she had just recently discovered.

Natalie held out her hand and snapped her fingers, but no fire popped out. "Yes," she said sadly.

Suddenly, Sinead's eyes lit up. "I don't think all is lost," she said in a voice loud enough for only them to hear. "I've read about something, but I'll tell you later when we're back with the others."

The Madrigal and Lucian Princesses exchanged curious/interested glances and waited for Rachelle.

* * *

><p>As everyone was enjoying breakfast, Sinead made her announcement. "Guys, I don't think all is lost," she said, quoting her own words.<p>

"What do you mean?" Hamilton asked. "The Grounds were burned down, several but not a few died, and Charms were destroyed."

A lot of them muttered in agreement. But the Dragon Princess looked like she was ready to debate till court just to prove her point. "I mean, I've read something about the Founders' Journals," she said.

Surprised silence washed over everyone, broken only when Fiske said, "The Journals were hidden a long time ago. No one has found them ever since."

More sounds (obviously siding with the Phoenix King) were heard. But still, Sinead's "I'm-ready-to-take-this-to-court" attitude stayed. "In those Journals are locations of the substitute gems that we can use should the Charms be destroyed," she said breathlessly.

Unsure glances were exchanged among the Royalties, but the looks on the Representatives' faces already explained their decision. "We're all for it," Joyce said.

"Besides, we've all read or heard about the Journals at least twice in our lives," Rachelle said. "So we all know that whatever's written there will surely be a great help to us."

Everyone agreed. "So," Hamilton said, "do we have any leads as to the location of the Journals? Whose do we look for first?"

"Eldest to youngest," Ian suggested.

"Whoa, wait," the Tomas protested. "The oldest is Luke! You guys just want to get ahead, don't you?"

"No, we don't," Natalie said, and she meant it. "We can't argue now. Time is against us."

Jonah held his hand up. "Can't we just split into groups and look for our own Founder's Journal?" he asked, and some considered it. "The Vespers might beat us to them if we go as one big group."

Ysa spoke up. "I don't think they give a crap. Their goal was to destroy the Grounds and render us powerless. Now that they've done it, they're rejoicing, until now. Well, it's once in a blue moon that you get to inflict twice the pain that you expected to cause on your adversary, so they're lapping up their success."

"Go on," Fiske and Alistair (the Dragon King) said at the same time.

"Naturally, they'll be keeping their eyes open for any suspicious actions we do," she continued, "but something tells me that this surveillance of theirs will either stop not long after it begins or will only happen _occasionally_."

"Very interesting," Ian said.

"You convinced me too, yo," Jonah said, flashing his famous grin to the Tiger Representative. "Since when did you learn how to debate like that?"

She flushed a bit. "I'd like to be a lawyer," she whispered.

* * *

><p><strong>I suppose this is enough. Sorry for the late update and sorry if it's crappy. Anyway please keep the reviews coming, and tell me if there are parts that I have to improve on because I really want to know. Please be honest. I want to improve.<strong>

**-TCDW**


	8. Preparations

**Well, I'm sort of in an idea-filled phase, so I'll get on with this.**

**Disclaimer: Do the honors and save me the energy by saying it for me. ;)**

* * *

><p>Amy, Sinead, and Lois left early the next morning and headed to the nearest bookstore, while everyone else reviewed their plans on how to find the Journals. Some would go and see how the other surviving Shapeshifters were doing, and would inform them where they were currently staying (tents in the forest near the burned-down Grounds).<p>

When everything was set, the Reps decided to play a game of volleyball. As Lois wasn't there (and it was quite sad without her), there were three players on both teams.

The Royalties began to emerge, yawning, rubbing their eyes, and taking shuffling steps to their large picnic mat which had all the food and drinks on it. "Good morning, Your Highnesses," the Reps said cheerfully, still playing.

"Are they back yet?" Ned asked.

"They just left," Nicole said.

"Oh. I see. Why don't you eat first?" he invited.

"Thanks," said Joycelyn, and they all sat down on one side of the mat. They said grace and started to eat.

* * *

><p>About three hours later, Sinead, Amy, and Lois returned. They were carrying three books each.<p>

"Who's that?" Ted asked, feeling the footsteps on the ground.

"They're back!" Reagan exclaimed.

Ned glanced at his brother. "I guess that answers your question."

"What have you got there?" Ian asked, taking one from Amy and reading the blurb at the back. "Cebu?"

"Yes, your favorite place," Sinead said, rolling her eyes.

He was already flipping through the pages. "Well, what are the other books about?"

"Other famous or historical places," Amy replied as they set the books down on the grass. "We should all read up on the possible locations."

Soon, everyone was holding a book. Some were sharing, like Ysa and Joyce, Rachelle and Lois, or Jasmine and Nicole. The Reps would sometimes speak Filipino between themselves, or just English as they read.

"Has anyone found anything yet?" Ted asked while listening to Ned's summarized version of the paragraphs in the books.

"No," Rachelle and Lois said.

"No," Jasmine and Nicole said.

"Yes!" Ysa and Joyce cried, and slapped high-fives.

"What?" Sinead asked, and all eyes became trained on them.

"It's in Cebu, isn't it?" Ian asked.

"It is," Joyce said. She showed them the sentence that aroused their excitement for the first time in days.

_The seas of Cebu are rumored to be holding treasure concealed within an underwater cavern. The suspected area has attracted tourists and divers everywhere, all hoping to discover the truth._

"We've got to go to Cebu," Natalie said immediately.

"We've got a strong feeling it's there," Madison said. "We should go."

"All of us?" Ysa asked. "But we're twenty-six! A group as large as us is enough to attract the Vespers!"

Yasmeen Badawi, the Dragon Queen, had been silent all the while. She cleared her throat and said, "If we are to make our money last, we should only send a small group to Cebu. Sending all twenty-six of us will bring ourselves to the Vespers' focus, as Ysa said, and it will greatly deplete our resources."

"She's right," Mary-Todd, the Bear Queen, decided. "Those who love the water should go."

"But not all Tomas," Rachelle said before the Holts could make a move. "How about two Tomas, one Lucian, one Madrigal, one Ekat, one Janus, and two Reps?"

"Eight of us," Gabrielle agreed. "Ysa and Lois should go."

"Reagan and Hamilton," Eisenhower said.

"Ian," Natalie said before her brother could protest.

"Sinead," Ned and Ted added in unison.

"Why don't you come, Amy?" Sinead suggested. The Phoenix Princess nodded.

As for the Janus, Jonah volunteered himself. "It's settled, then," Fiske said. "Hamilton, Reagan, Sinead, Amy, Ian, Jonah, Lois, and Ysa are going."

"Three guys and five girls," Nicole said absently.

* * *

><p>Jasmine, Gabrielle, and Rachelle worked on booking the flight. They would be leaving the next day. After taking the shuttle service to Shangri-La Mactan, they would start preparing to dive to the cavern.<p>

Others were charging phones and other gadgets at the nearest source of electricity: the country club not far from their temporary outdoor residence. The eight Shapeshifters who were going were busy packing their things for a three-night stay in the Queen City of the South, Cebu.

"When does school resume?" Jasmine asked suddenly.

"Four days from now," Nicole answered. "So when they get back, Ysa and Lois will get a day to rest before we go."

Since they were in the senior year, they had to go to prom. "I heard prom's gonna be next month," Rachelle said. "Is that true?"

"Dunno," Joyce said.

"_Baka__*** **_February 11," Nicole said. "I'm not sure."

"Even if, we should get ready," Jaz said.

Joycelyn, Lois, and Gabrielle didn't seem too excited about it, though. They just exchanged glances and shrugged.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry for the shortness.<strong>

_*** **_**: Filipino word that means "maybe"**

**A little bit of regular senior problems to relieve some of the tension. So, yeah, I might let some Filipino words slip in…**

**I chose Shangri-La Mactan because (based on personal experience) the seas are great places for "hidden treasure in an underwater cavern". I've gone snorkeling there once, and there are a whole lot of fish which you can feed with some bread. :)**

**And I chose the city of Cebu because it's a historical place. It's also referred to as the Queen City of the South (well, of the southern part of the Philippines, I guess). You can Google it. :)**

**I've been to this other historical site just last month, and I'm including it in the story, but I'm not telling you where it is…**

**-TCDW**


	9. Snorkeling

**If last chapter had Filipino words, this one will have Fukien words :) Another of the languages spoken in my family. Translations will be in parentheses.**

**I've added some Amian in this chapter for those who are dying for it… ;)**

* * *

><p>After good-byes were said and hugs were exchanged, the eight headed off to the airport. Ysa hailed two taxis; Ian, Jonah, Hamilton, and Amy would be riding in one, while Lois, Ysa, Sinead and Reagan would be riding in another.<p>

"I'm really sorry about this, Princess," Ysa apologized sincerely.

"It's fine, really," Amy assured. After Ysa gave both drivers instructions (in Filipino, of course), they drove off.

* * *

><p>After a while, they arrived. They got their bags and entered the Ninoy Aquino International Airport 3.<p>

"Let's eat breakfast first," Lois suggested. "I'm starving."

"What do you want to eat?" her cousin asked.

"Any!"

As Ysa scanned the available restaurants, she asked, "Does anyone like Yellow Cab?"

"All for it," Hamilton and Reagan said in unison.

"Then let's go," Sinead said.

"I don't remember the last time I ate pizza for breakfast," Jonah said, abandoning his gangsta-speech.

"Me too," Ian said.

Amy was mildly surprised. "You eat pizza?"

"Of course," the Lucian said, unaffected by her remark. "All of us are totally different people when we're in the Shapeshifter world."

"No wonder you seemed… nicer the last time you dropped by the manor," she murmured.

She heard him chuckle softly. "The Shapeshifter life is much more peaceful, unlike the Muggle one, where everyone's ready to kill just to survive. That's why everyone has been quite out of touch since the Clue hunt ended. We were all here, getting back together and out of the prying eyes of the Muggle world," he explained casually.

"That's why Shapeshifters live in the East," Ysa said, "and Muggles live in the West."

"Why didn't Dan and I know about this earlier?" Amy asked.

"Queen Grace wanted to tell you, but she died before she could," Lois said. "No joke. When you weren't there, she would teleport herself here, carrying Saladin. We actually haven't met you till you came from Boston."

"But what was that growl I heard when we arrived at the gates?"

Ysa looked up. "That was me," she said, halfway through her second slice of pizza. "I was checking the barriers and repairing the broken ones."

"Oh," Amy said.

"There are a lot of things you haven't found out about yet, Amy," Sinead said.

* * *

><p>The plane ride was quite boring. The only nice thing was watching the sun rise. It was actually a great sight, seeing it through an airplane window. You could hear the sound of other passengers pulling the shutters down to block out the bright rays of the sun.<p>

Ysa was playing Temple Run on her iPhone, while Lois was doing the same thing on her iTouch. Both were listening to music while doing so. Amy and Sinead were reading more books about Cebu. Hamilton, Reagan, Jonah, and Ian were fast asleep.

Amy looked up from her book and gazed around the plane. She had the aisle seat, Reagan got the window, and Sinead was in the middle. From her place, the Madrigal could see Ian on the other side of the aisle, his eyes closed and a peaceful expression on his face.

She realized that she hadn't seen him asleep before. He actually looked like a normal guy who went to high school and wasn't a member of the most ruthless branch of the Cahill family.

"Staring, are you?" Sinead said without looking up.

Her cheeks burned. "Oh, um—"

"Don't worry, I won't tell. We're almost there," she added.

Relieved, Amy closed her book and heard the voice over the intercom announce that they would be landing in ten minutes. People stirred and got ready. "Look!" Reagan cried.

Amy and Sinead leaned forward. The sun was just about to rise, which gave them a great view of the city. When they looked to their right, the boys were already awake and stretching.

Then, the same voice over the intercom said, _"We have now arrived at the Cebu Airport. Thank you for flying with us. We hope to see you again!"_

* * *

><p>Ysa and Lois immediately sprang up from their seats and darted to the front so they could be one of the first to get out. "Hyper, aren't they?" Ian chuckled.<p>

"Aren't you?" Amy asked.

"They're hyper, but I'm glad," he said as he followed them.

Amy went with him. They found the cousins chattering away in a language Amy didn't understand. Suddenly, Ian said, _"E zue dit." (Possible.)_

They turned to look at him. _"Di e hiao kong Lan Nang We?" (You can speak Fukien?)_ Ysa asked.

"_Zai si,_" _(Of course) _he answered, flashing the smirk that Amy hadn't seen for quite some time.

Amy couldn't stand it anymore. "What are you saying?" she blurted.

"He can speak Fukien," Lois said, jabbing a finger at the Snake Prince.

"And I said 'of course'," he said cheerfully as they began to leave the plane. "I can speak a lot of languages."

* * *

><p>They finally reached the hotel. "It's great to be back," Lois said as they pulled their luggage along behind them. She and Ysa headed to the check-in counter while the Royalties approached the sofas.<p>

"Can we start today?" Sinead asked.

"Sure," Hamilton said. "We've got three days and two nights to get to that cave."

"If we go during the day, we can see way better, but there will be more people trying to get to the cave," Jonah said. "But if we go at night, there will be less people, but we won't see that clearly."

"And none of us have predator's eyes," Reagan said. "Even if some of us act like predators."

Lois and Ysa returned, both holding keys. "Guys in one room, girls in another," Ysa announced. "Let's get ready!"

* * *

><p>In an hour, all eight Shapeshifters were dressed in swimming attire. They met at the beach, where they were going to claim their snorkeling gear. It was agreed upon that they would explore the area first before going fully under.<p>

"I already got the bread," Ian said, holding up a few plastic bags. "I think I emptied the whole basket."

Everyone chuckled. "We'll share a bag," Ysa and Lois said, taking one and going off immediately.

"We'll get one too," Reagan said, pointing to Hamilton. The brother and sister high-fived and waded into the water.

"I guess we can share," Jonah said to Sinead as he took a bag. Without other words, they went off.

Ian looked at Amy. "That leaves us. Why don't we go there?" he suggested, nodding to another direction.

They waded into the water till it reached their waists. "Have you ever gone snorkeling before?" Ian asked.

"No," Amy admitted. "Just now. How do you do it?"

He held out the bag of bread. "Take one," he instructed.

She did so. "It's better if you lie down on the water, like Ysa and Lois over there," he said, nodding in the Representatives' direction. "That way you can see the fishes while you feed them."

"Oh," she said.

"Why don't you give it a try?" he prompted.

She managed to imitate the Reps. When she felt a tap on her shoulder, she looked and saw Ian being surrounded by tons of fishes. He stopped feeding them to grin at her. Then he showed her how to crush the bread into smaller bits to feed the fishes.

The Madrigal immediately got the hang of it and was surrounded by fishes herself. She actually had a lot of fun.

Suddenly, Ian surfaced. She did too, and heard him once again conversing in Fukien with Ysa, who wasn't so far away. When the Representative left, she asked him what was going on.

"We're moving farther from the shore," he informed her. "Do you see the kayaks? They've stopped over a certain site. They're taking pictures of the cavern's surroundings."

"Oh," she said. "We have to go there?"

"Yes," he said. "Don't worry. Reagan and Hamilton can drive the sharks away."

"Sharks?" she exclaimed, a bit too loudly. Ever since the terrifying events in Australia during the Clue hunt, she had grown a fear of sharks.

He understood her phobia, because he was there too. "I know it's because of the Clue hunt," he said. "But believe me, I've seen the Holts talking to whale sharks and going nearer than allowed."

* * *

><p><strong>Perfect! I finished this just before dinner! :D<strong>

**Please review; last chapter got only 2. Wish me luck in my exams; they're my last ones in elementary! Hopefully I'll graduate with honors… (Parents said the lowest I can get is salutatorian; my family's standards are too high…) **

**-Sam**


	10. First Move

**I'M FREEEEEEEEEE!**

**Sorry about that… I'm just so happy that the Fourth Quarter Exams are over! I am FREEEEEEEE~ but on the downside there are graduation rehearsals and the National Achievement Test next week… the NAT comes before the rehearsals, though…**

**Sassygirl48: Thanks a lot :) Let's see…**

**(no name): Look harder.**

* * *

><p>In a matter of minutes, the breads were finished. Since they had nowhere to put the plastic bags, Lois went back to throw them away. They waited for her before moving on to the place where the kayaks were. The passengers were peering down at the water, as if just staring could lead them to the treasure.<p>

The eight Shapeshifters swam on. Hamilton and Reagan were far ahead, already checking for wild sea animals to ward off. When the coast was clear, they were floating with their life vests, motioning for the others to hurry up.

Jonah and Sinead followed, then Ysa and Lois, and Ian and Amy. "We can hold our breaths for a full minute," Reagan said. "But when we had our powers, we could stay down for an hour."

"We'll have to get used to it," Ian sighed.

"That's why we have to find the Journals as soon as possible," Sinead said. "So we can rebuild the Charms and get our powers back."

"And before the Vespers take control of the Cave," Ysa added.

Hamilton and Reagan took off their life jackets but kept their masks. They took the deepest breaths they could and dove, while everyone else watched from above.

The Holts quickly swam downwards, nearing the cave, when two great white sharks appeared. Amy immediately choked and had to raise her head, while Sinead helped her calm down. Ian caught Amy's eyes and they both backed away a little.

"They're in trouble with the Guardians," Ysa said quietly. "They have thirty seconds to get out of there, based on what Reagan said."

"That they can hold their breaths for a full minute? Yeah," Jonah agreed.

"There are Guardians, even here?" Amy asked.

"Of course," Lois said. "What if scuba divers were able to enter? They'd find out all about our magical world and use whatever's written in the Journals to make Muggles like us and use it to destroy the world even more."

"I never thought you were going eco-friendly," Ysa said.

"Well, the world has to go eco-friendly in order to prolong our existence," Lois said. "But personally, I think it's the government who should inspire people to act."

"Amen to that, actually," her cousin said. "Ten seconds."

The Holts seemed to realize this too; they immediately surfaced and gasped out, "TO THE SHORE!"

Good thing they did, as the great whites were at their heels.

* * *

><p>Amy tried to swim as quickly as everyone else, but she immediately got left behind because she wasn't so good in swimming. The sharks were almost to her. Tourists were rapidly taking pictures of the sharks, no doubt for them to post on the Internet.<p>

Suddenly, the Phoenix Princess felt someone pulling her forward. "And you can't swim?" Ian said, mildly surprised as he held her hand tightly while he propelled the two of them much farther away from the sharks.

She felt her cheeks burn, but couldn't answer. "Hold on," he said, giving her hand a squeeze. "We're near."

* * *

><p>The Shapeshifters were exhausted. After a quick shower and change of clothes, everyone was back outside with their stomachs growling madly.<p>

"I think we should try the scuba diving tomorrow," Sinead said, "if we want to get out of here quickly."

"Come on, I thought this was a vacation," Ian said, feigning sadness.

Everyone chuckled. "Well, since we can't get through the sharks by snorkeling, we could use an oxygen tank," Sinead sighed.

They headed to one of the restaurants, Tides, and found a table. Ysa and Lois stayed behind to reserve the place while the Royalties went ahead to get dinner.

Amy's stomach growled louder whenever she glanced at the food surrounding her. Everything just looked so delicious.

"Exactly why we chose this place," Ian said, as if reading her mind.

"Are you a mind reader?" she asked.

"No, but your expression said it all." He flashed a smirk and walked away to join Jonah, who was having trouble deciding what to get.

Sinead appeared on Amy's left and Reagan on the right. "As the Representatives said a long time ago when they heard someone had a crush on someone, _uuuy!_"

Fighting the great sensation of blushing, Amy said, "What?"

"We know you like him," Reagan said as she got two pieces of tempura and some sauce. "It's been obvious since the Clue hunt. Well, we'll be going now. Hurry up or your food will get cold."

* * *

><p>Dinner was quite silent, because everyone was too hungry to chat. They wolfed down their dinners, Holt-style (sort of), paid the bill, and left.<p>

While they were walking back to their rooms, Ysa said, "Do you even know how much scuba diving costs?"

"Expensive for all eight of us," Ian said. "But I think Reagan and Hamilton can manage on their own. We can just stay on the beach."

"I'd rather we empty the entire basket of bread again while they dive," Lois said.

"So what you're saying is that Reagan and Hamilton will dive to the cavern while we feed the fishes?" Amy asked.

"Basically, yes," Sinead said. "Wait. Did Jasmine, Gabrielle and Richelle include scuba diving?"

"Yep," Ysa answered. "I was watching them."

"That's good. Then we'll have fewer problems. We should wake up at, like, five or something tomorrow so we can go there before anyone else," the Ekaterina suggested. "Unlike yesterday, when everyone took pictures of us being chased by sharks."

* * *

><p>The next morning, everyone was up by five. Through the phones, they were able to finalize the agenda for the rest of the day.<p>

First, they would eat breakfast (once again at Tides), already prepared to go snorkeling/scuba diving. Then Reagan and Hamilton would arrange to go scuba diving, while everyone else was to go snorkeling. The staff was pretty surprised by the earliness, but when Ysa said that they were very early risers, they simply nodded.

"You'll be going thirty minutes from now," the lady at the desk said. "So you should bring bread, waterproof cameras if you have, and of course yourselves." She smiled.

"Thanks," Hamilton said, and they returned to the others who were sitting on deckchairs.

"So, are you ready?" Ian asked, stretching lazily like he had all the time in the world.

"Of course," Reagan said, as if a little offended by his question.

Ysa and Lois exchanged a few words in Fukien, and when they shot Ian a pointed look, he just grinned and held his hands up in surrender, then turned his back to them.

"What is it?" Amy asked.

"They're afraid I'll eavesdrop," he chuckled. "We'll be going as pairs, like yesterday. I took some bread from the restaurant, and no one seemed to mind, so we'll have extras."

"Nice," she said, smiling. "How long have you known about the Shapeshifters?"

"Since I was seven," he said. "Natalie knew three years later, when she was also seven. We came here often on vacation. We'd meet with Rachelle and we'd play together."

For some reason, Amy couldn't imagine Ian playing like a regular child.

"I can tell from your expression that you can't really imagine that scenario," he said. "You shouldn't be too obvious with your face, or your enemies could use that as a way to know your secrets."

"Oh," she said, looking down so he wouldn't see the tinges of pink that had appeared in her cheeks.

* * *

><p>The sun was already in the air when they left the seashore. Reagan and Hamilton rode a boat to the cavern's location while everyone else snorkeled after them, holding their breads. Adrenaline coursed through them, making each kick, each stroke stronger and propelled them farther.<p>

Suddenly, Jonah and Sinead stopped. "The sharks are back," they called.

They peered down into the water. The Holts managed to enter the dark cave's wide mouth, and the sharks swam away. Now it was up to Hamilton and Reagan.

* * *

><p>The job was supposed to be simple: Get in, grab the Journals, and go. The cavern wasn't so deep, and an ancient-looking chest was just sitting there when they got in.<p>

Hamilton pointed to the chest and he and his sister moved on. He placed his hand on the wood and immediately felt a surge of energy course through him, as if he had gotten his powers back. _Whoa, _he thought, staggering back.

Reagan reached out and held him steady. "What?" she mouthed behind her scuba mask.

"Touch," he said.

She did so and her reaction was the same. "Carry," she said, pointing upwards.

If the sharks didn't catch them.

* * *

><p><strong>Okay, that's enough for now… I'm just so excited 'cause Hunger Games is showing on March 22 (Philippines)! :) I'm obsessed…<strong>

**Anyway, please review, and I'd really appreciate it if you could share this story to friends or whoever~**

**-TCDW**


	11. One Down, Five to Go

**This chapter is dedicated to **_**fieryjunior35**_**, because 1) she was the one who reminded me to get back to writing (hehe, thanks a lot!) and 2) she wrote a very nice story based on this one. :) **_**Astig mo!**_

**So… NAT IS FINALLY OVER! So close to freedom but still quite far… there are graduation rehearsals… :(**

**And I'd like to thank everyone who's been keeping up with this story (sorry if some things are unclear; don't hesitate to PM me if you don't understand!) since its prologue last year! I owe you all **_**huge**_**. Without you, this story wouldn't push through with the first chapter. **_**Xie xie! **_**:)**

* * *

><p>"<em>So take a breath of myth and mystery and don't look back." –To the Sky by Owl City<em>

* * *

><p>"How long has it been?" Ian asked.<p>

Lois checked her waterproof watch. "Thirty minutes, and I'm out of bread."

"Amen to that," Ysa said.

Just when Jonah was about to complain about how bored he was, a golden glow lit up the cavern. "They made it!" Sinead exclaimed.

"No need to announce to the whole world," Ian said. "There they are!"

"Wait," Amy said, her eyes narrowing. "They seem… energized."

"It's the power from the Journals," Sinead explained. "They're so powerful that anything that touches them will immediately feel a sensation of renewed strength. Your powers will be boosted too."

Finally, the Holts surfaced, but they were still holding on to the chest (underwater). "Whew!" Hamilton said.

Amy frowned.

"What?" Ian asked.

"How can we get the chest to the shore without anyone noticing?" the Madrigal asked.

Ysa smiled. "I can help you with that." She swam towards the chest. "A glamour."

"Oh, good one," Lois said excitedly. "I can't seem to remember how to cast that spell."

The Lucian-Madrigal placed one hand on the chest and muttered a few unintelligible words. Then the chest's glow intensified, forming a sort of hologram around it. "Muggles will see it as our bread bags," she said confidently. "We should go now."

Suddenly, all their stomachs growled at once. "And eat," Reagan added.

* * *

><p>No one could hardly pace themselves while eating breakfast. First, they were famished; and second, they really wanted to see the Journals.<p>

"It's only the second day, but mission already accomplished," Amy said, like she still couldn't believe the efficiency of Shapeshifters.

"That's how awesome we are," Hamilton said, and they all laughed.

* * *

><p>After paying the bill, the eight walked back to the boys' room (because there was more space). "To each his or her own," Ian said, and opened the chest.<p>

Everyone covered their eyes at the sun-like glare. When the glow died, Ian reached in and pulled out a new-looking notebook with a red cover. The Lucian snake head was sewn onto the cover. He pointed to the sofa, and Ysa followed him; they were the only ones with Lucian blood there.

Sinead could hardly contain her excitement as she took Katherine Cahill's Journal out of the chest. It had a black background, but the Ekaterina crest was on the cover. She sat on one of the beds and began to read.

Hamilton took out Thomas' Journal. It had the Tomas crest against a light gray background, and the bear had real sapphires for eyes. He and Reagan decided to stay on the floor.

Jonah peered in and brought out the Janus Founder's Journal. Like Katherine's, it had a black background with the Janus crest embroidered onto the cover. He sat on one of the beds, and Lois sat beside him.

That left Amy with Madeleine Cahill's Journal. It had the same light gray background as Thomas', but the Cahill crest with all four branches' crests was sewn onto its cover. She ran her fingers over the design and opened it.

_This journal belongs to Luke Cahill_

_Anyone who does not go by the name Luke Cahill will be punished. Severely._

Ian and Ysa exchanged glances. "Totally like him," Ysa said, smiling.

He smiled back. "You read my mind."

"Just your expression, actually," she corrected.

"I suppose I lack practice." He shrugged. "The first few pages are surely about himself. How about we skip those and get to the part where he writes down the location of the ruby?"

"As you wish, Your Highness," she answered.

They skimmed through the Journal till Ysa cried out, "Wait!"

"Did you see something?" he asked as she took the Journal out of his hands.

She opened to the page with a bookmark. "No wonder it was bookmarked," she said.

_Eighth of June, 1520_

_Father has died. Our family remains broken._

_After the fire (which those oafs who claim to be my siblings are still accusing me of), I was the first one to walk away. No matter how much I love Jane, I didn't stop and turn back. I just left her there, screaming till she almost lost her voice._

_I feel absolutely guilty about that. Not the fire, but leaving her alone. Well, why should I feel guilty about the fire when I didn't even start it?_

_I'm currently on a boat to England, to London, for me to see what the world has to offer. And I'm trying to put as much distance as possible between me and the rest of the Cahill family—no matter what it takes._

_The only thing I have from Father is a silver ring in the shape of a snake with rubies for eyes. It passes for 'lifelike' and looks fairly deadly. This was his last gift, the one he made me carry out of the lab before he got cornered by stupid Vesper's men and set the fire that killed himself and destroyed the 'full' recipe of his plague cure._

_Father also told me how he got this ring. He said that it is made of high-class silver. The eyes come from a single ruby, actually. These rubies are very clear. I am sure they are expensive. Father gave me the ruby from where the eyes were cut. It is in my coat pocket, wrapped in old, useless parchment and cloth._

_From the moment I wore this ring, I have been feeling stronger, like I could take on everyone in my family (but leave dear Jane), but something tells me that it is not yet the right time to plot my revenge on Katherine and Thomas. Or maybe Jane. No. I don't want to be against Jane. I want to be _with _her._

"He had a hard life," Ysa whispered, and Ian nodded. "I can't imagine the pain, but I'm sure it's a lot worse than being literally thrown out of your own home."

_I must find a place to hide this ruby. It must be a place where no one would dare look, where it will be ignored. So after a while in London, I will venture far into the East, into that little archipelago that still has no name. But I have heard that a Portuguese explorer (who was denied permission to travel in his own country) was able to secure permission to travel in __Spain__. I have heard that he will take on this expedition to reach the Spice Islands. I wonder what the outcome will be and personally wish him well._

"Ferdinand Magellan," Ian said immediately. "We need to skip again. An entry from 1521."

They flipped the pages till Ysa stopped him. "Here," she said.

_Twenty-first of March, 1521_

_Well, Ferdinand Magellan (as the Portuguese explorer is said to be called) did not make it to the Spice Islands, but he reached this archipelago which he is currently trying to conquer. I haven't heard of the archipelago's name, but I am sure I will hear it soon. My writing is not as legible as last time, because I am writing this entry on a sailing ship—none too grand; I don't want to stand out._

_I decided to venture away from London, my city, because I need to hide the ruby. I think this new land will be a perfect hiding place, as its discovery (or _re_discovery, as I heard) hasn't been officially announced to the rest of the world yet. (But I have my sources, of course.)_

_I have asked for a map of the islands and I have it with me now. My eyes are set on a tadpole-shaped island in the left side of the archipelago._

The two exchanged glances. "Well, that was interesting," Ian said. "What's that island he was referring to?"

Ysa's eyes flickered yellow in excitement. "Corregidor!" she exclaimed.

"What?" Lois asked.

"One of the gems is hidden in Corregidor! Luke's ruby!"

"Seriously?" Sinead was stunned.

"Yes," Ian confirmed. "One gem down, five to go."

* * *

><p><strong>Who's watching The Hunger Games? Review "I!" if you will! :)<strong>

**I hope I can. My parents don't trust me to watch without them. If I watch with them, my dad will snore in the cinema (he falls asleep all the time) and my mom will ask me a trillion questions before, during, and after the film and I won't be able to enjoy it.**

**But if I watch with my friends, they'll try to avoid asking as much as possible… way better, right?**

**Life is opposite for me… I love my friends but hate my family. I know I'm weird.**

**-TCDW**


	12. Goodbye, Cebu

**Sorry for the late update! Minor writer's block, a lot of planning, much singing practice, and a ton of chats! Hope you enjoy this chapter though! :)**

**Disclaimer: You know the drill…**

* * *

><p>Ysa and Lois were busy on the phone, calling the other Reps and telling them the good news. After a few more words, the pair of cousins ended the call and slapped high-fives. "They're going to start booking the trip to Corregidor," Lois reported. "Four days from now, so we've got two or three days to rest."<p>

"That's good," Jonah said, stretching.

"Still us, though," Ysa said. "No one wants to take our place, which is a surprise. They want to hold down the fort and make sure everyone else is okay."

"Okay," Amy said, still holding Madeleine's Journal. "Shouldn't we go out and enjoy the rest of our stay?"

"I'm staying behind," Jonah said.

"Me too," Sinead said. "I want to read."

"Then the rest of us will go," Hamilton said.

* * *

><p>At nine in the morning, the six Shapeshifters headed to the beach. Ysa and Lois went ahead to look for good spots, and Reagan and Hamilton already raced themselves to the water, which left Amy and Ian (who were leisurely walking to look for the Representatives).<p>

"Deep in thought?" Ian asked conversationally.

"Huh? No," Amy answered in the same tone. "Just looking for Ysa and Lois."

They both turned when they heard splashes in the water. "Not them," she said, beating him to it.

Suddenly, they heard Ysa shout in Fukien. They traced the sound of her voice and saw the Reps waving not far from where they were currently standing. "Let's go, shall we?" he asked.

"Won't you swim?" Amy asked Lois and Ysa. The cousins were both doing things on their iPhone/iTouch.

"Later," they replied.

"What are you doing, anyway?" Ian asked.

"Wattpad," Lois replied.

"Instagram," Ysa answered.

The Prince and Princess shrugged and went to the sea. "Race you to the cavern?" Ian challenged, a smug grin appearing on his face.

"Game," Amy said, and dove.

Even underwater, she could hear him laughing. Then she felt him go underwater too.

In a matter of seconds, he had already caught up with her. He waved, and she did too. They both surfaced to catch their breaths. "Tired?" he asked.

"Sort of," she answered. "How much farther?"

"We're already here," he laughed. "Look down."

They looked through the crystal clear water and down at the cavern. And no one knew that they had already taken the treasure it held.

"Hey, guys!" a voice boomed.

Looking up, they saw the Holts waving not so far ahead. "The sharks are gone," Reagan called. "We told them to beat it because we already got the Journals, so the coast is clear!"

"Want to go over?" Ian asked.

"Isn't this part deep enough already?" Amy was getting worried.

"Oh, don't worry, Ames," Hamilton assured. "If ever something happens, we can bring you back to shore in no time."

* * *

><p>"They found it." The whisper was cold, angry, and irritated at the same time.<p>

"I-I'm sorry, sir," Aaron Valdez said quickly, avoiding the piercing gaze of the commander.

"You should have listened to me, but _nooo, _you had to act like you knew everything and _voilà_," the commander's daughter said, rolling her eyes. She was only the same age as him (Aaron), but a hundred times more annoying.

"Leave me alone, please," he said through his teeth.

"Why?" she asked. "It's true."

The commander was getting a headache. "Quiet," he commanded, and both fell silent at once. "You'd better safeguard our Charms, Aaron, before the Cahill riffraff get them. And you"—he pointed to his daughter—"are not going anywhere. I believe Aaron can manage this himself. Dismissed."

Aaron saluted to the commander and resisted the temptation to smirk at the girl, then turned to leave.

Once he got out of the mansion, he was thankful he was given another chance to live and correct his mistake.

He made his way to the war room—the Vespers' ultimate control center. It was a huge room consisting of Shapeshifters working to pinpoint all Cahill activity around the globe. He put a hand on one agent's shoulder and whispered, "Locate my sister, will you?"

"Yes, sir." The agent's fingers flew across the keyboard but his eyes remained glued to the screen. It took him a few moments to accomplish the simple task. "She's in Shangri-La Mactan with seven other Cahills."

"When will they get back?"

"This afternoon."

"Thanks a lot." Aaron left the war room and walked out into the vast fields of the training camp. As the tall grass tickled his hand, he remembered the times he and Ysa would chase each other around their home. He pulled out a handful of grass, angry at himself for remembering her.

But as a plan unfolded in his mind, he couldn't help but think, _You're going down, Cahills._ _Especially you, Ysa. You've stooped down to a level much lower than I've thought. I guess it's time for me to show you how a real Shapeshifter does it._

* * *

><p>"Well, we're done packing," Amy said over the phone.<p>

"Meet you at the lobby," Ian said, and ended the call.

"Is everyone ready?" she called.

"Ready!" Ysa and Lois said, coming in from the balcony.

"Same here," Reagan said, shouldering her duffel bag.

"And here," Sinead said, still holding Katherine's Journal. "No one left anything?"

"Nada," Lois said.

"Then let's get going!" Energetic as always, Reagan led the way.

* * *

><p>"So," Ian murmured in Amy's ear. "What do you think of Cebu?"<p>

"Great," she said, smiling. "But I'm interested in Corregidor."

He shrugged. "What can I say? It was a military base used by the Filipinos and Americans against the Japanese in World War II, I think."

"We're going!" Hamilton hollered. "To the airport we go!"

* * *

><p><strong>So… yeah, they've already left Cebu and are currently heading back to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport 3, the same airport mentioned in Chapter 9.<strong>

**Sorry if it's quite short, I'll try to make the next chapter longer. Still, read and review, please!**

**Oh, and by the way, please read my other story, "Forever". It's also a contest actually, and since no one has entered yet (mechanics are in the said story), I'm pushing the deadline till March 23.**

**And in case you're wondering… I chose March 23 because that's the day I'll be watching Hunger Games with my friends (and my au pair, unfortunately *sigh*).**

**-TCDW**


	13. The Twins' Tale

**Thanks again to **_**fieryjunior35 **_**for jolting me awake. xD**

**By the way, the contest in my other story, "Forever", is still up! I pushed back the deadline to early April. Please enter!**

**Here you will find out Ysa's real story. I think this should clear your minds up a bit. :)**

**Disclaimer: Title, plot, Ysa/Aaron Valdez = mine :)**

* * *

><p><em>"Can't turn back, now I'm haunted<em>

_Stood there and watched you walk away_

_From everything we had_

_But I still mean every word I said to you." –Haunted by Taylor Swift_

* * *

><p>"<em>Aaron… how long do we have to stay here?"<em>

_All he could see was a girl's back turned to him. It was a cool summer night, and they were both dressed in silk pajamas. She was sitting beside him, letting the grass brush her fingers. "I don't know," he admitted, "but I don't think it will be long."_

"_You mean it?" Her voice showed a hint of doubt._

"_Don't you trust me?"_

"_I'm just asking."_

"_And so am I." He tried to make her face him, but she seemed glued to that position; he couldn't budge her, not even nudge her._

_He heard her sigh. "This place feels weird. Like we're outsiders. Different from the rest."_

"_Didn't you always like to be different?" he asked._

_There was a pause before she answered. "Not in this way." She got up to leave, and he immediately lunged forward to grab her wrist. "You can't leave me," he insisted._

_She pulled her wrist free, her back still turned to him. "I can." Then she ran, turned into a tiger, and dashed into the thick woods._

* * *

><p>Aaron Valdez sat up with a jolt. He immediately turned on the lights and remembered that he was in his very comfortable bed enjoying a good night's sleep, and everything was just a dream.<p>

That night was still fresh in his mind—her tone of doubt, her decision, everything. They were only ten at that time, accidentally stumbling into the Vesper camp and being accepted. But the officials didn't know about Ysa being a tiger, a Cahill Shapeshifter. For some reason, she had transformed first. Then before he could become a tiger, the Vespers stopped it and forced him to be a panther. Now every time he transformed, he experienced pain as his nails turned into claws, and as his teeth grew longer.

He sat up and ran a hand through his tousled black hair. How was his sister (who was younger than him by only a few seconds)? What was she doing? Was she okay? He desperately wanted to talk to her, but he would be in big trouble if anyone else in camp found out, especially the commander's daughter, who was his new stalker.

"_You can't leave me,"_ he had told her.

But she'd freed herself and said, _"I can._"

Since that fateful night six years ago, they never talked to each other again. He remembered feeling so angry the next day, so angry and hurt and frustrated that he skipped training for the whole day.

She was the one who made the decision, the decision that caused them all this trouble. It was all her fault.

* * *

><p>A glance at her cell phone clock told Ysa that it was a little past midnight. She couldn't sleep anymore. Carefully tiptoeing over the other Representatives, she made her way out of the tent and into the breezy night.<p>

The moon was still there, and so were the stars. She remembered trying to connect the dots and figure out the constellations, staying up late at night just to do so. Sometimes she'd even bring a book on constellations with her. Or her brother would sit beside her and help her.

She blinked away the tears. She only left him because he was already becoming too influenced by the Vespers, and she couldn't do anything about it except leave. And her choice still haunted her.

A rustle in the bushes made her turn. She started backing away slowly when she saw the pair of amber eyes staring at her. But these eyes showed some kindness, like it wanted to be friends.

Turned out that "it" was a "he". A boy a bit taller than Ysa stepped out, his dark yellow eyes glinting. "Hello," he said.

She pursed her lips. "I really don't know if I should hug you or punch you."

"You aren't strong anymore," he noticed, sounding sad, almost pitiful. "You wouldn't be able to take me."

He knew she was struggling to stay calm: the way she shifted her weight from her right foot to her left, the dimming spark in her eyes; it was all too obvious. He knew her too well.

"Why are you here?" she asked, changing the subject like she always did when she couldn't think of anything else to say.

"I don't know," he admitted. "I just left camp for a walk and ended up here."

Her eyes narrowed. "Uh-huh."

He raised his eyebrows. "Why don't you believe me? It's been six years and I wasn't the one who split us up."

She winced. "I only did that because of you," she defended. "You were already acting too much like them! That's not who we are! We're _Cahills_, members of the most influential family in the world—"

"Not just influential," he interrupted. "Most dysfunctional too. But Vespers aren't. We always act as one."

"Suit yourself," she said. "And I know you'll regret all of this someday." She turned and ran back to her tent, the same way she did when she left him in the Vesper camp.

* * *

><p>Breakfast the next morning was quiet. It was two days till Ian, Amy, Sinead, Hamilton, Reagan, Jonah, Lois, and Ysa left for Corregidor: December 29.<p>

"You went out last night," Lois guessed, taking one look at her cousin's face.

Ysa didn't even bother to defend herself. She simply nodded.

"He was there, wasn't he?"

"Watching through the bushes in partial mode," she agreed.

"Who was watching through the bushes in partial mode?" Dan asked, unintentionally hearing that bit.

Lois answered for her cousin: "A Vesper."

All eyes turned to look at them. "What about the Vespers?" Eisenhower Holt growled, holding a sandwich centimeters away from his mouth.

"I met a Vesper last night," Ysa whispered, suddenly taking interest in her Styrofoam cup of hot chocolate.

"What did he look like?" Ian asked.

Pain flashed in her eyes. "Wearing all black. Panther's eyes."

"Panthers are one of the Vesper animals," Fiske said, "along with falcons, eagles, lions, foxes, and ospreys."

"Their animals all sound… powerful," Amy murmured.

"They are," Ysa said. "Believe me. When they train, they destroy almost all of the training equipment. When they have tempers, they destroy everything in sight."

Natalie frowned. "How did you find that out?"

She avoided the Snake Princess' piercing gaze. "I… I've been inside their camp before," she stammered.

"Why?"

"Because my brother, Aaron Valdez, is a Vesper, and he was the one who destroyed the Grounds."

* * *

><p>Shock, anger, and frustration washed over them. (Eisenhower Holt was bellowing the loudest.)<p>

"Silence!" Fiske yelled, and everyone shut up, but still gave Ysa the occasional cold, angry, hate-filled glare.

The Phoenix King looked kindly at the poor Representative. "Why don't you tell us the full story, Ysa?"

She took a sip of her hot chocolate. "Okay."

Fiske looked everyone in the eye, his glance conveying the same message to all: _No one will react until it's over. Let her speak._

"I'll start from the very start, in case some of you have forgotten some parts," she said. They nodded.

"I was your average eight-year-old with a twin brother older by a few seconds. I was the one who transformed first; he started when he was ten, two years later. Strange, I know.

"I got kicked out—or _thrown _out—of the house, actually. It was only me and not Aaron. But since he couldn't stand being with Lucille or our parents and he cared about me too much, he went with me."

She sighed. "We went up north. We went down south. We went east, west, and every other direction you could imagine. It was hard, as if you were a fugitive being hunted down. And everyone knows the Philippine streets aren't exactly the safest."

Those who had spent quite some time in the Philippines nodded their agreement. "Pickpockets, snatchers, hold-ups, and of course, murder," Ian muttered.

"All kinds of crimes," Ysa agreed, "and different styles. I won't go into the details, though."

Amy shuddered and locked eyes with Dan, who was turning a little pale.

"Anyway, we were on the run for two years—not consistently, though. Occasionally this nice fellow would stumble across our tent and offer to take us in, and we'd immediately agree. Always. Then a few days later, we'd leave. We don't like burdening others with our problems.

"While we were still looking for a new place to live, we came across this field, which was weird, since Manila didn't have any fields. Fields were only seen in provinces like those on the way to Baguio," she said. "So we decided to investigate. And we walked right into the Vesper camp.

"We caught glimpses of the training sessions: absolutely bloody, downright gruesome. Like the Hunger Games when Cato got devoured by the mutts," she mused. "Anyway, I was immediately disgusted, while Aaron seemed intrigued and interested. So I left him there.

"Then I crept over to the houses there. Yes, there are houses," she said, seeing Madison's mouth open. "They're for the Shapeshifters. There's this mark on their doors that tells the high officers what animals are in there." She frowned, thinking hard, trying to remember what the symbols were. "I can't really remember those symbols, but there's one for each Vesper animal. I'm sure of that.

"Not long after, we were caught."

"By who?" Ted asked.

"By the commander himself and his daughter, who's the same age as us," she answered. "But they didn't get mad at us. They invited us into their mansion, asked us the basic questions, and gave us something to eat and drink. They were very nice and friendly.

"Turns out the commander's daughter is a falcon. I've seen her transform, and I've gotta say, she has very sharp talons. Just a heads-up," she said. "Her name is Katarina."

"Why didn't you tell us about this earlier?" Natalie asked. "We could've taken the Vespers down a long time ago and we wouldn't be worrying about them right now."

"No one asked, Princess," Ysa said quietly. "And it's hard for me."

"Continue your story, Ysa," Fiske prompted.

She nodded. "Katarina was nice to Aaron, but mean to me. She'd snap at me, comment on everything I do, give unsolicited advice—all that crap. So I ignored her.

"Of course, the only one I could really trust at that time was Aaron, so I talked to him. I told him about Katarina, and he understood how difficult it was for me. He knew I was already having a lot of problems.

"But he told me his thoughts and opinion. He wanted to stay." She stopped to drink the rest of her not-so-hot chocolate. "I was surprised with him, actually, but I gave in. Then I asked him how long we were going to stay. 'I don't know, but it won't be long,' he told me.

"I doubted him. I didn't bother to hide the doubt in my voice. He noticed it immediately and got mad at me. That was when I decided to leave him there. I left him there, then I made my way here." She was blinking back tears in her eyes. "I was the one who made us turn against each other. By 'us' I'm referring to me and Aaron."

The other Shapeshifters watched her wipe away her tears. "So on the night of the Christmas Ball, he came and talked to me and Lois," she said. "After that, he burned everything down. Now we just hate each other more and more."

She pulled her knees up to her chest and put her head on her knees. A gentle breeze blew, making a paper plate fly away, but Gabrielle caught it.

Then one by one, they all got up and headed back into their tents.

* * *

><p><strong>Okay, so here you found out Ysa's story. The other characters (both original Cahills and OCs included) will reveal their own tales in future chapters. And more Journal entries will be included. I hope this will clear things up.<strong>

**I guess this is my longest update (as of now)… :) Please keep the reviews coming!**

**-TCDW**


	14. A Midnight Run

**Hello! I'm back. And I've just graduated from elementary. :) I will dearly miss my friends, especially those who won't be here next year :( LOL, I keep thinking that the valedictorian (not me, I'm only first honorable mention) should have added these lines to her speech:**

"_**Happy graduation day! May the odds be ever in your favor as we go on to high school!"**_

**Yes, that's how Hunger Games-crazy I am. :)**

**Previously, it was Ysa's tale, so now it shall be… Rachelle's! So, this chapter is dedicated to my classmate/best friend Richelle (see the resemblance? Rachelle and Richelle?)! Hey, Awesome Pretzel! :))**

**Disclaimer: Okay, okay! I only own the Valdez family, title, summary, and plot!**

* * *

><p><em>"Tell me what you want to hear… So I'm gonna give all my secrets away." –Secrets by OneRepublic<em>

* * *

><p>One day, the Shapeshifters had nothing to do, so they decided to ask about each other's backgrounds—how they found out about the Shapeshifter world, how they got to the Grounds, how their families were. Hamilton found a plastic bottle which they agreed to use as the determiner.<p>

Once everyone was seated in a circle, Nicole reached out and spun the bottle. And it pointed to…

"Rachelle," Ian said, looking at his cousin with some kind of smirk on his face. She just rolled her eyes at him.

The Lucian Representative felt everyone's eyes on her. She took a deep breath and got ready to tell her story.

* * *

><p>"I come from a kinda-rich family," she said, brushing a strand of her dark brown hair behind her hair. "Both my parents are still alive, along with my older brother and younger sister, who all live in a nice house in a neighborhood in Bonifacio Global City, which is in Taguig.<p>

"Like all the other Shapeshifters out there, I experienced my first change during the full moon when I was the same age as Ysa; I was eight.

"The feeling depends on what animal you turn into. I turn into a snake, so during my first transformation, I felt a sharp pain where my teeth were, and when I looked into a mirror, I watched my teeth grow longer till they were real fangs. Then there was this too-great/overwhelming pins-and-needles sensation all over my body. It was too much that I hadn't realized I'd fallen face-down on the floor, and I was twitching.

"Snakes can't detect colors but can see images," she explained, "so I wasn't able to figure out what kind of snake I was. Unfortunately, my fall to the floor was louder than I thought, so my parents and siblings came rushing to me immediately.

"They gasped and gaped at me as I hissed in straight English mixed with some Filipino, naturally emphasizing each _sssound_ of the letter _esss_," she said, hissing like a snake and grinning while everyone laughed softly. "Then my dad held his hand out, and I slithered to him.

"I could still hear them talking to me, and I heard myself answering them. Then my dad opened the front door and I crawled out onto the doorstep, staring up at the four of them. My parents suggested I spend the night outside, just to be safe, and I agreed."

"At least your parents didn't _throw_ you out of the house," Ysa muttered, clearly envious of how her friend's transformation went.

"Chill," Joyce said, complete with the universal "calm down" gesture which must've seemed quite funny, because a lot of people smiled like it relieved some of the tension. Then the Ekaterina Representative patted her friend's shoulder.

Rachelle herself smiled a little too. "Anyway, as I went into our backyard, I couldn't help but feel like I wanted to eat. I was absolutely starving, and I almost went insane trying to fight back that voice in my head that told me to go back inside the house and bite someone. Or something. Consequently, I didn't get any sleep.

"I returned to my human self when it was dawn. Fortunately, I still had my pajamas, so I went back to the front door, knocked, and got in."

She paused for a moment to catch her breath. Jasmine handed her a cup of water, which she gladly accepted and drank up. "Thanks," she said, and the Madrigal nodded.

"Everyone gave me space that morning for safety precautions," she went on, "but they treated me as if it was a regular morning where we were all at the table, eating breakfast together, and not like I had officially become a Shapeshifter the night before."

"_Ang swerte mo talaga," _(You really are so lucky) said Ysa in a voice too low for anyone else to hear.

"They asked me how I felt, if I wanted to rest, and I immediately said yes. So right after finishing my breakfast, I ran up to my room, locked the door, and fell asleep," Rachelle said.

"How did you get to the Grounds?" Amy asked.

"I got directions from my grandparents," she answered. "They're both Shapeshifters."

"But didn't you say that you're the only Shapeshifter in your family?" Dan said, recalling her statement earlier.

The Representative thought for a moment. "I meant in my generation of the family," she clarified.

This amendment was accepted with numerous murmurs of "Oh, okay".

"My parents talked to my grandparents, who both insisted that the only way for me to be properly trained was to go to the Grounds. They assured my parents that I would be well fed, well taught, well cared for, and that I would still continue to go to school. I also got to see them on occasional weekends."

"Your version's, like, the total opposite of Ysa's," Reagan said.

"It is," Ysa and Rachelle said, and despite the tension, they grinned at each other.

"And that's the end of my story," Rachelle said.

* * *

><p>Aaron was restless. He didn't eat much, he couldn't sleep much, and Katarina beat him in training the past three days (which almost never happened). Now he was in his room, sitting at the desk and flipping through the pages of a book.<p>

Its pages were turning yellow, and it didn't have much pages. It was a book for young children, probably those in third grade. So why was he reading it?

Because it was the last book he and his sister had read together, from start to end. He remembered the nights they spent on this particular book, sitting in any of their rooms and not getting out till they finished several pages or till they were called.

He ran his fingers over the pages and felt the folds they had made to use as bookmarks, then he turned back to the blank first page of the book where they had written their names:

_This book belongs to Aaron and Ysa Valdez._

Then they had written the date. He remembered asking Ysa to write for him since he said her penmanship was better and clearer than his.

"_Why didn't you put your name first?" he had asked her._

_She'd simply looked at him and said, "Everyone looks at you first, then me, then Lucille. Even if Lucille comes before me when it comes to an alphabetized arrangement, you'll still be first."_

He didn't understand her words at that time, but now he did: _You're the eldest, you get all the glory and credit and all that._

Suddenly, he heard a knock on the door. He hastily put the book back in its drawer, cleared his throat, and said in his calmest voice, "It's open."

The door swung open, and he was surprised to see…

"Katarina?"

The Vesper commander's daughter tilted her head and closed the door behind her. "Surprised to see me, Valdez? I was only wondering why you didn't seem like yourself earlier today."

He raised his eyebrows but didn't say anything else. He didn't want to admit that she was right.

"Well, everyone knows that you're not yourself when you just stand there and let me beat you up in training," she said as if it was an obvious fact (and maybe it was).

"Guess not," he mumbled.

She sat on the edge of his bed and looked at him curiously. "I knew something's definitely up," she said. "What are you thinking about?"

"My sister," he muttered.

She snorted. "I thought she joined the Cahills."

"She did," he said. "She's a Representative."

"Tiger, right? I saw her in the mall once, but I don't think she recognized me. She was with her friends, so I have no idea if she really recognized me." Katarina shrugged.

To break the awkward silence, she added, "Do you miss her?"

He looked at her, into her stormy gray eyes, and said very quietly, "You have no idea."

"Well, you're pathetic," she said.

He winced. "At least I'm not heartless," he countered.

She felt her cheeks burning. "Watch it," she warned.

"Or what?"

"I'll tell my father that all you do at night is mope about your little sister."

"I don't mope. I just think about her. Is thinking of people you care about illegal? I thought this was a free country!"

She sighed in exasperation, then an idea popped into her head. "You know, I've seen you run out of here and into the woods late at night then come back at the crack of dawn," she mused.

"So?" He sounded irritated.

"Mind if I join you? You run, I fly," she said.

He thought about this for a moment. "That could help," he said, nodding to the balcony. "Ladies first," he added, with a mocking grin.

She playfully hit him, opened the doors, and stepped out onto the balcony where a cool, gentle night breeze tickled her face. Her eyesight sharpened, and she felt herself growing shorter and shorter till she was eye-level with Aaron's shins. In a matter of seconds, her whole body was covered in feathers, and her feet had turned into those of a falcon's. She jumped up and perched on the balcony railing, looking at him expectantly. "Well?" she said, the word sounding as high-pitched as a falcon's caw.

His eyes were already yellow, his nails had turned into claws, and his black panther's tail had already appeared and was swishing restlessly. His skin started to darken, and his ears slid up farther onto his head. He got down on all fours, and his hands and feet turned into paws. He stretched like a cat, making his claws come out. "Ready?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said. "Where to?"

"Just follow me," he said. He got on the railing and kicked off, landing perfectly below like a cat and racing off like a bullet.

If Katarina could grin, she could have, but all she could manage at the moment was a triumphant-sounding caw, then she took off as well, keeping an eye on Aaron the black panther running below her.

* * *

><p><strong>I finally got this chapter up after a week or so, oh, I don't know xD<strong>

**Please review (and sorry if it's kinda short)!**

**-TCDW**


	15. A Little Hetalia

**So sorry for the late update! Thanks to mi amiga Charlotte, I am now addicted to **_**Hetalia**_**. Anyone else? :)**

**Since I am currently addicted to Hetalia, I shall include a bit of it here~ enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: You already know it, don't you?**

* * *

><p>"Aaron!" Katarina cawed. "Are we there yet?"<p>

There was no response. She looked around. "Aaron?" she called.

Then he stepped out of the shadows, already back in his human form. The wind ruffled his black hair as he gazed up at her with warm brown eyes, a little bit darker than his sister's. "I'm here," he said. "I'll let you transform back. Yell when you're done."

She swooped down and perched on a sturdy-looking tree branch, closed her eyes, and willed herself to return to her human form. After a few seconds, she opened her eyes and saw that she was back in her human form. But since it was dark, she kept her falcon vision.

After enjoying the breeze for a minute, she jumped down from her branch, feeling the pain that shot up her ankles when she hit the ground. "Aaron?"

"Over here," he replied. "Other side."

She walked over and gasped, surprised that she had never seen this place before. She now stood in front of a river that appeared to stretch quite far. Aaron was on the other side, sitting down on the grass with his back against an oak tree, watching her. They were completely surrounded by trees that formed some kind of leafy dome, but no branches or leaves touched, allowing the moon to reflect on the still water; the watery image was only distorted by the occasional fish that jumped up from and fell back into the water.

"Do you really expect me to go to you?" she asked.

"Honestly, yes," he said. "I always come here when I think of my sister. When she was still here, we used to sneak out at night and come here. We'd race and see who would get here first, things like that."

Whenever he talked about Ysa, Katarina noticed that his gaze seemed sadder, kind of wistful. "All right, I'll cross," she said. She took a few steps back so she could get a running start. When she reached the riverbank, she jumped, using her falcon strength and landed on the other side.

"That wasn't half bad," he said.

She felt herself flush. "Thanks," she said.

He moved to give her space so she could sit down beside him. They just sat there, watching the rushing water and the occasional fish jumping up and falling back into the current.

The silence went on for a few more moments till Katarina asked, "Have you seen Ysa after she left?"

"Chinese New Year," he said without hesitation. "Even when we were still here, we'd go to the Chinese temple our parents used to take us. We'd see our parents there, and our sister, Lucille. We always made sure that we were ahead so we wouldn't stay in the same part."

"Part?"

"The temple has parts. You have to get incense sticks three times for three parts."

"Oh. So when was the last time you saw Ysa?"

"Night before Christmas, before I set the Grounds on fire." He ran a hand through his hair.

"You're lying," she said.

He blinked in surprise. "Am not," he said.

"You always get this glint in your eyes when you tell a lie," she pointed out.

He threw his hands up in the air in exasperation. "All right. I saw her around two days ago. She ran away from me just like she did when we split up. Happy?"

The general mood seemed to go a little downhill from that point. "What did you talk about?" Katarina asked cautiously.

Aaron merely shrugged it off. "The same thing that made her leave eight years ago."

* * *

><p>The next day, the Reps were off to visit their families (and hang with each other afterwards), which left the Royalties alone. Since Ysa was treated as though she had no family (and she pretty much liked it that way), she went with her only full-blood relative, Lois, and together they headed to the Sy residence.<p>

It was December 30, the second-to-last day of the year… and Lois and Ysa totally forgot that there was going to be a pre-last-day-of-the-year party to be held by the Sy family.

So that meant hell for Ysa; the Valdez family was invited, along with a few others.

The Sy family's home had three floors—first being the living room, kitchen, dining area, and maids' quarters; second having all the bedrooms (including guest rooms); and third being some sort of terrace.

They went up the steps and Lois pushed open the double doors. "Mom! Dad! Alexis! I'm here with Ysa! The Royalties let us off for today!" she hollered.

"_Achi_***** Lois!" A girl with shoulder-length brown hair, fair skin, and glasses came running down the stairs. She was a head shorter than Lois. "It's so good to see you again!" Alexis hugged her sister, then Ysa. _"Achi_*** **Ysa!"

"Hey, Alexis," Ysa said, smiling. "How are you?"

"Fiiiiine," Alexis said. (She was twelve, and Lois was sixteen.) "Did you get ready for the party?"

Ysa and Lois exchanged wide-eyed glances, and Ysa swore in Chinese. "Forgot," they both said, face-palming.

Lois dropped her hand before Ysa did, and both of them knew that if Ysa didn't get out of there soon, the whole place would be destroyed in a matter of minutes. "Ysa, you should go back to the Royalties," she suggested.

"Good idea," Ysa said, finally lowering her hand.

Alexis' eyes widened. "Aren't you staying, _Achi_*****?" she asked, sounding disappointed.

"I can't, Alexis," she said sadly. "I'm being called again. We've been really busy now, since the Grounds got destroyed."

(It went like this: Both Lois and Alexis are Shapeshifters. The Representatives and Royalties sent all other Cahills back to their families for the moment, and Alexis was one of them. Sadly Lois had to stay because she was a Rep.)

"A lot of reconstruction to do, right?"

Ysa nodded and patted her head. "Don't worry; I'll try to make it back in time for the party." But with a sidelong glance at Lois, both Reps knew that she was going to do the exact opposite.

"Oh, okay," Alexis said. She hugged Ysa. "Make the Grounds nice again, okay?"

"Okay," Ysa promised, smiling. She nodded at Lois, and vice versa— not much was needed to be said or done to say goodbye between those two—and made her way to the doors.

But just as she was about to put her hand on the doorknob, the doors flew open, revealing the Valdez family. Ysa stumbled back and almost fell, but was fortunately able to steady herself.

"What the heck are you doing here?" Lucille (Ysa's younger sister) demanded, wrinkling her nose in disgust. She reminded Ysa of Natalie, but _much worse_.

"Saying good-bye," Ysa said evenly. If Lucille was there, her parents were there too, and so was…

"Aaron?" she said, surprised.

"Happy second-to-last-day of the year," her brother said, nodding.

"Same to you," she said curtly, and pushed her way through the family she left behind.

* * *

><p><em>~thirty minutes later~<em>

"Ysa! Where in the world are you?" Lois demanded, covering her other ear so she could hear her cousin better.

"I'm in Starbucks, watching _Paint It, White!" _Ysa answered.

The Janus-Madrigal sighed. Ysa was a big fan of an anime series called _Hetalia_, about anthropomorphic countries of the world. She loved it even more because it was about history (World Wars) and was full of comedy.

"Isn't that the, uh, fifth time you've watched that?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Look, Ysa, I know you hate your family, but _you don't hate them enough to miss a second-to-the-last-day of the year party. _I know you _that _well."

"I'm breaking the record," she said, sounding annoyed.

Lois sighed. Families and friends were laughing all around her like there was no tomorrow. "You're gonna regret this, you know."

"I won't since I'm watching _Hetalia_," she said.

"Care to share your love to the rest of the family?"

"I only share it with those who are _worthy_. And they aren't. Look, if you wanted a drink, you could just get to the point and—"

"I don't want a drink from Starbucks!" Lois hissed, a little louder than expected. Some eyes turned to her, but she turned her back on them like nothing happened. "Plus, Aaron's a loner."

"Keep him company, then," she said. "He just misses Katarina. You know what, I dare you to ask him if he misses Katarina."

Lois was appalled. "You're insane!"

"Thanks. Now can you please hang up? You called just when China was treating the aliens to a wonderful Chinese feast. You know, the part where the countries try to charm the aliens."

"Fine. By the way, Aaron's going with your family to the temple."

"Say what?" Ysa stood up, making the table wobble and almost making her drink spill. "What the—this had better not be a trick—"

"Not kidding! I talked to Aaron a few minutes before I called you," she insisted. "He was looking forward to going with you, but you left, so there."

Ysa removed her earphones and stuffed them in her pocket. Then she grabbed her drink and pushed the door of Starbucks open. "Now you convinced me."

* * *

><p><strong>Finally~ I got to update! Sorry if it's lame or anything crappy -.-<strong>

*** : A Fukien term meaning "elder sister". I grew up calling some people **_**Achi**_** or **_**Ahia **_**("elder brother"), like the children of my godparents.**

**Anyway please review~ **

**-TCDW**


	16. Pranked and Packing

_**Gomennasai**_**, I had writer's block, and I've been starting to prepare for school (even if it's still on June 7, whatever xD). Anyway I apologize in advance if this chapter is crappy…**

**By the way, please read my other story, "Summer Paradise". It's Hetalia, and there's a deviantArt version (remove spaces):**

http:/ l uc ia n e k a t1 a nt m/ # /d 4x qj4 u

**Disclaimer: I only own title, summary, and plot.**

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><p>Lois suppressed a grin as she pushed Aaron towards the door, forcing him to stand there despite his protests and demands to know why. The Janus-Madrigal had tricked Ysa into believing the Valdez family was going to complete their yearly family tradition without her, and she knew that Ysa disliked being left out of things.<p>

"Aaron, just shut up, will you?" she sighed. "Stay here. Move and I'll kill you."

"Fine," he said, folding his arms over his chest and scowling.

Suddenly, the door flew open with such force that Aaron was almost squished against the wall but had his hands out to prevent that from happening. He turned, about to yell at whoever did that, but saw his sister with an expression that said she wanted to do the same thing (yell at him).

"What the crapola were you doing behind the door? Your face could've gotten squished like a bug," she said, storming past him while drinking something—Starbucks!

He scratched his head. _Sometimes I just don't understand my sister, even if we're mortal enemies_, he thought.

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><p>Ysa really was having a bad second-to-the-last-day of the year: She saw her family, nearly flattened her [good for nothing] brother with a wooden door, and found out that she had been pranked by her cousinalmost sister/best friend.

Lois was coughing. Ysa scowled at her, stirring her drink. "What?" Lois asked, perfectly faking innocence.

"That's supposed to be my question," Ysa said. "You were tricking me, weren't you?"

"Wha—no!" she exclaimed.

"_Weh, di nga_*****," her cousin said, rolling her eyes. "Look, they can go cliff-jumping or skydiving anytime, for all I care. Besides, I know how to get there myself, even if it's not December 30. I'm going home."

"Home? With Auntie Vivian (Ysa's mom), Uncle James (Ysa's dad), Ahia Aaron and Lucille?" Alexis chirped, appearing beside Lois.

Ysa shook her head, absently ruffling her younger cousin's hair. "No, I'm going back to the Royalties," she said. "Besides, I have things to do." She looked at Lois. "You do, too."

Lois mentally slapped herself. "Thanks for reminding, we have to go pack," she said. "We're staying overnight, right?"

"Where are you going?" Alexis asked.

"Corregidor, remember? I thought I told you minutes ago," Lois said.

"Oh." The younger girl nodded. "I forgot. But won't you eat some ice cream first?"

"We'll pass," Ysa said before Lois could answer and take up more of their time. "Advance happy new year, Alexis."

"You too, Achi," Alexis said, and the two Representatives left.

* * *

><p>"<em>Wŏ men míng tiān huì huí qù le<em>******_," _Ysa panted once she and Lois had gotten into a taxi they were fortunate enough to hail.

Lois understood Mandarin, but she had always been better in Fukien. (It was the other way around with Ysa.) _"Guā zāi la_*******_," _she said.

The Lucian-Madrigal leaned back against the seat. "I wonder if anyone remembers," she said.

"Of course they remember," Lois said, rolling her eyes. "How can they forget? We have to get there before… before…" She was hesitant to say Aaron's name, but she did it otherwise. "Before Aaron gets there."

Instead of turning away, Ysa just shrugged. "Yeah, I know. I hope he doesn't use the war room."

"What war room?" she asked, frowning. She had never heard of a war room before.

"_Para po!_********" her cousin said, making the cabbie pull up to the side. She tossed him a hundred-peso bill and pushed Lois out of the cab, then got out herself.

"Ow," Lois said. "So, what war room?"

Ysa got a glint in her eye. "The war room is the Vespers' ultimate control center. Vesper Shapeshifters and Muggles… they work together to plot against us. Simple as that. I've been inside the war room before, and more or less every space is crammed with computer monitors. People work to track down Cahills and they do whatever crapola they wanna do. Since their base isn't burned down to worthless ashes, they have that advantage over us."

Lois frowned, then realized her cousin had already broke into a run. She jogged after her, muttering, "So much for hoping they wouldn't find us, huh?"

"There you are," Sinead said, hands on her hips and a stern expression on her face. "Where have you been? Have you even packed yet?"

"We just got here…" Ysa replied, acting like she was really exhausted. Lois resisted the urge to roll her eyes; Ysa was just great at acting and faking—well, she was half-Lucian after all.

"Don't you pull an act on me! We're leaving at six in the morning tomorrow!" The Dragon Princess sighed and went back into her tent.

Ysa scratched her head and went into the Reps' tent, Lois right behind her. "Do you think there's a clue for the next stone there?" the Lucian-Madrigal wondered aloud.

"Where?"

"Corregidor." Ysa pulled out a large backpack from under her sleeping bag and stashed it with neatly folded clothes enough to last three nights. "In one of the caves, you think?"

"Yeah, I think," she said. "Probably in Malinta Tunnel?"

Ysa snorted. "Worst case, it's in one of those collapsed tunnels. Or one of the Japanese suicidal holes."

"That would be… kinda awkward," Lois said finally. "But what if it's in those barracks ruins? No one can go there!"

Her cousin huffed. "We may be powerless, but we can still use persuasion," she reminded. "You've got one pure Lucian and one half-Lucian on your team, remember?"

"Yeah, yeah." The half-Janus stuffed her earphones in one of her knapsack's pockets, while Ysa decided to bring her stereo headphones. "That is, if we get caught."

The grin her cousin shot her was a reminder of the feisty, fierce, and determined girl who had been thrown out of her own home and managed to work her way to the top of one of the Cahill Shapeshifter branches, helping her (Lois) as well. "You _think_ we'll get caught?"

* * *

><p><strong>* : Filipino—something we say when we don't believe what another person's saying.<strong>

**** : Mandarin—"We'll be going/leaving tomorrow."**

***** : Fukien—"I know."**

****** : I think that's what people usually say when they're hailing a jeepney or taxi… Anyway, it means "Stop!" The "po" is for respect, like when you're talking to people older than you.**

**By the way... did I ever mention Ysa's parents' names before? If I have, please tell me... I can't seem to remember... o.O**

**Sorry if it's short or whatever. Review please? :)**

**-TCDW**


	17. All the Better

**Hello~ please read my other story, **_**Summer Paradise **_**(Hetalia), both on deviantArt (link on previous chapter) and the FFN version. :)**

**Well you already know the disclaimer so I'll stop wasting your time and start the story :D**

* * *

><p>"<em>Big brother is just looking out for you and if he can embarrass you in the process then… ALL THE BETTER."<em>

* * *

><p>"Shut it."<p>

"No, you shut it."

"_Can the two of you shut up instead?" _the commander roared. Both Aaron and Katarina fell silent immediately, shooting each other death glares before turning to Katarina's father.

The commander was in his late forties, with salt-and-pepper hair, slightly tanned skin, and an athletic build. He, like most of the people around, had dark Asian eyes, but his eyes seemed to be lacking much of the warmth and happiness that radiated around Filipinos, replaced by a shrewd glint that made all those who dared to make him an enemy spend their lives in an asylum (with hallucinations of an evil mass murderer or the occasional Grim Reaper). But why was the commander, the leader of all Vesper Shapeshifters, currently dealing with two sixteen-year-olds?

"I have the better plan!" Katarina insisted. "We already have the tickets, so we can get onto that freaking ferry, right? When we reach Corregidor and the tour guide lets us go down to look around the tunnels or ruins or whatever we can knock them out and hide them somewhere no one will dare look!"

Aaron was face-palming and shaking his head the whole time she spoke. The commander wanted so badly to bash their heads together, but he couldn't since Katarina was his daughter and Aaron was the youngest general and the one the commander trusted most. "Both of you, shut up, now," the commander barked.

Katarina plopped down on one of the plush armchairs in her father's office, folding her arms over her chest and pouting, but her eyes were locked on her father's, obviously screaming, _I'm right, right? Dad! Listen to me! Besides, I'm your daughter! _The commander then did the next best thing after bashing their heads together—he threw a pillow at each of them.

Aaron caught the pillow square in the face, and Katarina caught it in her lap (which dismayed the commander a bit because he meant to hit both of them in their faces). "Ow," Aaron said. "What was that for?"

"I want both of you to keep quiet before I throw you out of my office," he said, barely managing to keep the frustration and annoyance in his voice.

Luckily, both of them knew to do as he said. Katarina had seen her father _literally_ throw people out of his office, and Aaron had seen his sister thrown out of the Valdez home eight years ago, which made him sick every time he thought about it.

The commander took a deep breath and exhaled, repeating this several more times before finally speaking. "Katarina, your plan does make sense"—the girl flashed a smirk at the youngest general, who merely rolled his eyes—"but"—now it was the other way around—"knocking them out would cause a commotion. And you very well know that we can't afford to be discovered."

"Wait," Aaron said. His brow was furrowed, which meant he was deep in thought. He looked at Katarina, then the commander. "We don't have to knock them out."

"What do you mean?" the commander asked, putting his hands on the table.

"I really don't want to say this, but Katarina's plan makes sense," he said. "Except the knocking out part, which you pointed out, sir. But I think my idea can substitute for that."

* * *

><p>Amy woke up quite early the next morning. She brushed her hair and changed, then headed out of the tent she shared with Sinead to see if anyone else was awake.<p>

And she found someone sitting by the remains of last night's fire, but she couldn't see who it was because long, dark brown hair covered the girl's face. "Good morning," the Madrigal said.

The figure looked up. "Good morning, Princess," Ysa Valdez said, bowing her head.

"Have you been here long?" she asked, taking a seat beside the Representative.

"I came out a few minutes before you did," Ysa said. Her expression seemed troubled or uncomfortable, like she had a nightmare. So Amy decided to ask.

The Lucian-Madrigal blinked. "How—what gave it away?" she asked nervously.

"Your expression," the Princess replied.

"Oh… well… Not really a nightmare, just a flashback," she admitted. "A little scene when I was young, when I was still on the run with my brother."

Amy sensed the discomfort this caused her, and was about to say, "Oh, I see, you don't have to tell me…" but the Representative went right on, staring at the burnt coals the whole time.

"We were in Lois' house," she said. "We pleaded her parents to keep their mouths shut—but of course we spoke with more respect—so they wouldn't be dragged into this whole mess. Sure, Lois and I are like sisters, but of course nothing beats your own brother, no matter how annoying he can be, even if he became a Vesper, right?"

Amy nodded in agreement; she could relate. No matter how annoying Dan was, he was the only one who understood her well and have "telepathic" sessions with.

Ysa sighed. "We were both eight. I was still recovering from the shock; it was all too fast… but Aaron was there to comfort me. Then one time, late at night, he heard me crying and hugged me… he said, '_Big brother is just looking out for you and if he can embarrass you in the process then… ALL THE BETTER.'_" She shook her head. "My brother may be a total piece of crapola now, but he did make some sense before."

Amy giggled at the quote. "He really said that?"

Even Ysa allowed a small smile. "Yeah. I giggled too when he did, and I asked him to repeat it one more time, then I understood his seriousness. Then he promised he'd always look out for me, no matter what, even if he died and became a ghost."

"Really?"

The Representative nodded.

"But… how about you?"

"I promised the same thing," she said. "Naturally."

"How about now?" Amy knew this was a touchy subject for the other girl, but she couldn't help it; she was just so curious.

Ysa shrugged. "But that gives me an idea, you know. Our birthday's coming up in just a few weeks, and I figured I could write him a letter. He never replies to my texts or answers my calls anyway."

"When's your birthday?"

"January thirteen."

"Oh. Well, advance happy birthday," Amy said.

Now the Rep really smiled. It wasn't forced or anything, and even if Amy saw a little sadness in Ysa's dark brown eyes, she knew the smile was genuine. "Thank you."

* * *

><p>Aaron and Katarina were sitting on the stone wall that bordered Manila Bay on Roxas Boulevard, eating hamburgers and drinking hot chocolate from the nearby McDonalds'. "You do have a nice plan, you know," Katarina said, swirling the contents of her Styrofoam cup a bit.<p>

"You thought up majority of today's strategy," he said, taking a bite from his hamburger.

"What do you feel, since we're gonna see Ysa again?" she asked. "It's been quite a while since I last saw her, but you saw her around two or three days ago."

"I saw her last week," he corrected.

"Whatever. So, what do you feel?"

"Happy, I guess," he said with a shrug and a sip of his hot chocolate. "But we're going to have to harm her."

"Sadly."

"Did you ever like her?" he asked.

Katarina crumpled up the hamburger wrapper and put it in a plastic bag. "Honestly, I did want to befriend her, but she just seemed so cold and mean."

"She's the total opposite," he chuckled quietly. "She's probably the best sister anyone can ever ask for."

"Speaking of her, there she is with the travel group," Katarina said.

Aaron looked up, crumpling his hamburger wrapper and also putting it in a plastic bag. Then he downed the rest of the hot chocolate and put the cup in the same bag. He immediately spotted his sister, with her hair in a braid and an excited gleam in her eyes. She was wearing a navy blue T-shirt with blue and white drawings on the front—Aaron knew they were _chibis_ from her all-time obsession, _Hetalia_—black jeans, and silver flip-flops.

Lois was wearing a white tee with the words _I VOLUNTEER AS A TRIBUTE _printed in big black letters, jeans, and running shoes. "Hey, it's boarding time," Katarina said, shaking Aaron's shoulder. "Time to go."

"Oh. Right." Aaron stood and followed her to the queue, making sure they were far behind the Cahills.

Once they were allowed to get on the boat, they went to their seats and found that they were directly behind the Cahills.

"Just our luck, no?" Katarina whispered as they took their seats.

"Huh. Yeah," Aaron sighed, keeping his voice down.

Several minutes later, they heard a voice over the intercom announce that they were starting to leave the harbor. Sure enough, everyone could feel the waves rocking the boat. "I think you should sleep first," she said. "We'll take turns, okay?"

"Okay," he said, leaning back and closing his eyes.

* * *

><p>Thirty minutes later, Aaron was jolted awake. "My turn," Katarina said. "I'm getting dizzy. Besides, you've slept half the trip."<p>

"Okay," he said. "Pleasant dreams."

She rolled her eyes and went to sleep. Purely out of curiosity, Aaron craned his neck and tried to locate his sister from the row of Cahills in front of him. Then he found a pair of white headphones on a dark-haired head, and suddenly an image of Ysa three years ago with the same white headphones popped into his mind; it was her. He relaxed once more and tried to calm himself down. He had to wait till they were at the island.

* * *

><p><strong>Gah… Stayed up till three in the morning… -.-<strong>

**Anyway, please review… oh, and as for the quote up there (both at the start of the chapter and the one Ysa mentioned from her flashback/dream), here's the link to where I found it:**

h t t p : / / w w w . t h e o t a k u . c o m/ w a l l p a p e r s /v i e w / 2 2 2 9 7 8 / b i g _ b r o

**And for the shirt Ysa's wearing, I found it here:**

h t t p : / / m a x x - v . d e v i a n t a r t . c o m / a r t / A - P - H e t a l i a - S h i r t - 2 5 6 8 3 8 5 7 8

**-TCDW**

**PS: Remove spaces for the links~**


	18. Barracks and Maps

**Well hello again~ XD I'm sorry for the super, super, extremely late update; high school life is something I'm still trying to get used to, and I haven't had much time to go online anymore…**

**(Insert disclaimer here)**

* * *

><p>Aaron and Katarina let the Cahills leave the ferry first, pretending to be asleep as they passed and covering most of their faces with their hands. Katarina opened one of her eyes just a little bit and immediately shook Aaron. "They're out," she said, keeping her voice low.<p>

He nodded and got up, with her close behind. "Buzz your dad or something, tell him we're here," he suggested.

"Later," she said, rolling her eyes. "Let's get out of here first, alright?"

They climbed up to the upper level of the boat and went down the gangplank. Aaron spotted the Cahills walking, looking for a tour bus that hasn't been filled up yet. "C'mon!" He grabbed Katarina's wrist and pulled her forward, acting like a little child who spotted a jar filled with candies.

The commander's daughter yelped in surprise as she was jerked forward, losing her balance, but she managed to catch on and shook Aaron's hand off, moving to run beside him. "You didn't have to pull me, you know," she said, sounding annoyed.

"Well, sorry," he said. "I know which bus they're going to take. The one with the cool tour guide."

"Since when were tour guides cool?" she asked. (This Vesper doesn't really like history.)

"Since this guy. He's kind of old, but still." He led the way and they took seats a few rows behind the Cahills (who took up two rows; the bus was a bit small and open so you could actually fall out anytime). "Can you just quit complaining for today? Just one day?"

"I'll try," she said wryly. "Just today."

"Thank God." He sighed with relief, leaning against the seat, and she grinned while lightly punching his arm.

They stopped by the facades of former barracks, and the tour guide gave everyone fifteen minutes to look and take pictures. Katarina followed Aaron off the bus, but she stopped in her tracks when she saw Ysa talking to the tour guide with Amy and Sinead beside her. Katarina tapped into her super-sharp falcon senses, and she was able to hear what they were saying…

"_Kailan po ba tayong makakarating sa Malinta Tunnel?" _(When will we arrive at Malinta Tunnel?) Ysa asked.

The tour guide—who introduced himself as Apolinario or Apol for short—smiled. _"Mamaya pa, mga _three." (Much later, around three p.m.)

Her shoulders slumped, but she straightened up just as quickly and a curious gleam in her eyes appeared. Ysa would've made a great Vesper agent if she didn't run off, Katarina thought. _"Hindi po ba maraming… _sub-tunnels_ sa loob? May mapa po ba kayo?" _(Aren't there a lot of sub-tunnels inside? Do you have a map?)

"_Sandali lang ha." _(A moment.) Apol went back into the bus and came back out a few seconds later, some kind of paper in his hand. _"Heto. Bakit ninyo kailangan?" _(Here. Why do you need it?)

She gestured to Amy and Sinead. _"Tinutulungan ko lang po ang mga kaibigan ko na gumagawa ng _project_. Interesadong-interesado sila at 'di na makahintay eh!" _(I'm just helping my friends who are doing a project. They're really interested and they can't wait!)

He laughed, and she went on. _"Sandali lang po. 'Di ba kayo po yung nag-_quote _ng _letter _ng isang _general _para sa isang Presidente ng Amerika?" _(Wait. Aren't you the one who quoted a letter of a general for a President of America?)

"_Ako nga," _he said. "_Ilang beses ka na nakapunta dito? Ikaw, hindi mga kasama mo." _(That _was _me. How many times have you been here? You, not your companions.)

She smiled innocently. _"Pang-apat na po yata eh. Ako po si Ysa Valdez. Sila naman po sina Amy Cahill at Sinead Starling, galing Amerika." _(I think this is my fourth time. I'm Ysa Valdez. They're Amy Cahill and Sinead Starling, from America.)

"_Sabi ko na nga ba! Nakita na kita dati eh!" _he laughed again. _"_Overnight _ba kayo?" _(I knew it! I've seen you before! Will you stay overnight?)

"_Opo!" _Her eyes sparkled. _"Balak nga po naming sumama papunta doon sa _thousand-bed hospital area _mamayang gabi!" _(Yes! We also plan to join going to the thousand-bed hospital area later tonight!)

"_Mabuti naman kung ganun! Siguradong matutuwa kayo," _he said. _"May kasama pa ba kayo?" _(That's great! I'm sure you'll enjoy. Do you have any other companions?)

"_Opo, lima pa po eh," _she said. _"Lahat po kami pupunta mamaya. Kayo po?" _(Yes, five more. All of us will be going later. How about you?)

He nodded. _"Ako nga _guide _ninyo eh,_" he said, grinning. (I'm going to be your guide.)

"_Talaga po? Naku, talagang sigurado ako na matutuwa kami!" _she laughed. _"Sige po, hanapin muna namin yung aming mga kasama." _(Really? Oh, I'm sure we're going to enjoy! Well, okay, we'll go look for our other friends first.)

"_O sige," _(Okay.) he said, going back into the bus as the three left. Katarina immediately turned around so she wouldn't be seen and went to look for Aaron.

* * *

><p>"So they got a map of Malinta Tunnel?" the youngest Vesper general whispered.<p>

Katarina nodded. "The tour guide lent them. I'm sure they've thought of something now."

"You have great senses," he said, but he seemed reluctant to say the words. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes; typical Aaron.

"We'll be going to see some cannons and more barracks ruins," Apol the tour guide said. "And there are a few bomb craters on the way."

Aaron grinned at Katarina, who now rolled her eyes.

"I'll reveal our next stop after we see those," Apol added, and the rest of the ride was silent.

* * *

><p>Sinead, Amy, Lois, and Ysa took up all of one row, while Ian, Hamilton, Reagan and Jonah took up the row behind them. They were currently looking over the four girls' shoulders at the map of Malinta Tunnel that the tour guide had lent them.<p>

"I'm impressed," Ian said. "How were you able to get that?"

Ysa shot him a look that obviously said _you have got to be kidding me_. "I'm half of what you are," she reminded.

He grinned. "Can we borrow that?"

"Don't let go of it or we're dead," Sinead said, giving the Snake Prince a death glare. He nodded and she handed him the paper.

It was a detailed sketch of the entire Manila Tunnel, including the entrances/exits, and where General Douglas MacArthur and former President Manuel Quezon stayed during the war. Ysa turned around and encircled an area with her index finger, saying, "We're going here later tonight. The thousand-bed hospital area. See, it's connected to Manuel Quezon's quarters."

"But isn't it full of ruins and stuff?" Reagan asked.

"If it was full of ruins and stuff, this wouldn't be included in the tour package," Jonah murmured.

The other Cahills gave their agreements. The Bear Princess just shrugged and handed the paper back to Amy.

"We've been on the Night Tour before, right?" Lois asked.

Ysa nodded. "Just the occasional bat, but other than that, nothing except you, your tour group, and your flashlights and helmets."

"No lights?" Amy asked.

"No lights," the Representatives confirmed, speaking in unison.

"Apol might ask us to turn off our flashlights at some points," Lois warned. "Just a heads-up. Feel free to cling on to the nearest person possible."

"Did you do that?" Ian asked. "Because if you did—"

"Of course not," Ysa said. "We still had good eyesight then. Even if we can't see as well as we used to before, we won't do that. So please don't get your hopes of embarrassing us up."

"I never said anything," he said, sounding offended.

"Just warning," she said. "We've been with different guides each time, and all of them asked us to turn off our lights a few times. I always thought _someone _or _something _would jump up and kill us all."

Everyone understood her point: Vespers could attack them easily once they were in deep in the tunnel.

"If that ever happens," Sinead said, "I suggest we turn our lights off first. Save battery."

"Or we keep one light on while saving the others," Hamilton said.

"Please don't be pessimistic right now," Lois said, turning away. "I don't want to imagine it."

"Neither do I," Amy said quietly.

* * *

><p><strong>Cut for now! :D Please review and sorry if it's short!<strong>

**-TCDW**


	19. Night Tour

**Oh my. Okay, I totally blame all of this on high school. I had no time to think. =.=**

**I promise I'll make it up by clearing up all the confusing parts for you guys! Now let's have a short recap of the past events:**

**-Amy and Dan landed in Manila and were immediately taken to the Shapeshifter grounds.**

**-They find out that just like in the Clue hunt, they were the ones 'left in the dark', being the only ones who didn't know about the Shapeshifters.**

**-The Shapeshifters are basically the five branches of the Cahill family, each gifted with the ability to transform into their branch's animal (refer to the branch crests), and the Madrigals transform into phoenixes. There is an additional branch called the Mixed Bloods—pretty self-explanatory; all those Cahills who have more than one branch's blood running through their veins go in there. They turn into tigers. (Chapter 3, I believe.)**

**-Each branch has an additional special ability. (See chapter 2.)**

**-Each branch is headed by a royal family and has one representative, except the Mixed Bloods who only have representatives.**

**Lucian/Snake:**** Kabra family; representative is Rachelle Kabra. (Ian and Natalie are the prince and princess, respectively.)**

**Ekaterina/Dragon:**** Alistair Oh (king), Yasmeen Badawi (queen), Starling triplets (princes and princess); representative is Joycelyn Bosconovitch.**

**Tomas/Bear:**** Holt family (I think you can guess who's who); representative is Nicole Kazama. **

**Janus/Wolf:**** Cora Wizard (queen), Jonah Wizard (prince), Sophie Watson (princess); representative is Gabrielle Williams.**

**Madrigal/Phoenix:**** Cahill family—you know, Fiske, Dan, and Amy (same case with the Holts); representative is Jasmine Ong.**

**Mixed Bloods:**** Represented by Ysa Valdez (Lucian-Madrigal) and Lois Sy (Janus-Madrigal), who are cousins.**

**-The Christmas ball was sabotaged, which resulted in an explosion that destroyed the six amulets created by Gideon Cahill. Consequently, all Shapeshifters will remain powerless until new Charms are made.**

**-The only way for them to regain their powers and save themselves is to find the Founders' Journals—the supposedly-long-lost journals of each founder. It was later agreed upon that Hamilton, Reagan, Sinead, Amy, Ian, Jonah, Lois, and Ysa would be the group to search for the journals. They ventured to Cebu, which you can find in Chapter 9…**

**-… and brings us to their next destination: the famous military fort during World War II: Corregidor.**

**Disclaimer: It feels like years since I last said this, but… I don't own The 39 Clues!**

* * *

><p>Amy knew something was off.<p>

She'd had that feeling of nausea in her gut ever since they'd set foot inside the tunnel.

Sure, she enjoyed Malinta Tunnel's light-and-sound show during the day, but now that they were in it (well, a part of it) at night, she just felt terrified. She was no longer sure if she was still sane when she reached out and grabbed two fistfuls of the shirt of the person in front of her.

"Bloody—" The scared Phoenix Princess was immediately jolted back to sanity when she heard the familiar British-accented voice. "Who did that?"

"I-I'm sorry, Ian," she said quickly. "I didn't know who was in front of me."

Suddenly she heard him chuckle—oh, that conceited snake. "Are you _afraid_, love?"

"Don't c-call me that!" she told him.

"Keep it down, yo," said Jonah as he walked past them, clapping each of them on the shoulder as he did so and made his way to the front.

Caught up in her own world where no Ian Kabra existed to annoy her with his "love" antic, she could only be surprised when she felt a warm hand grasp one of hers and a silky voice say, "You can hold on to me if you're scared."

Amy closed her eyes and tried to take deep breaths to calm herself down. She sure was glad Dan wasn't with them, or he wouldn't let her—no, everyone—hear the end of this.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile somewhere near the front, Ysa actually had her arm linked through Lois'. "I'm freaking scared," Ysa hissed in Fukien.<p>

"You think I'm not?" Lois hissed back in the same tongue.

"Honestly, I thought you'd be less scared than I was because you aren't really scared of anything," Ysa said a little jokingly.

"Tch." Lois rolled her eyes. "I know it's been our fourth time here together, but I'm still terrified, and I know you are too."

"Since you are my cousin and probably-twin-sister-from-another-life, I'm pretty sure you're aware that _this tunnel always scares the living daylights out of me?"_

"Yes, yes I am. And no, I don't always believe you when you tell others how tough you are."

* * *

><p>Sinead didn't know if she should be scared or interested. Walking through the actual military hospital the American and Filipino soldiers used during World War II? The Ekaterina in her just got even more excited, but the other side of her screamed in fear and apparently did not want to shut up.<p>

"Hey," said Hamilton, nudging her lightly. "Are you okay? You look a little pale."

She tried to glare at him, but she figured it must have made her look frustrated and terrified, because Hamilton placed a hand on her shoulder and gently steered her in front of him. "Just take a deep breath and calm down," he said. "I'm right behind you. Oh, and pay attention to the tour guide; he might be saying something interesting."

All she could do was nod.

* * *

><p>Aaron Valdez never lied whenever he said he wasn't scared of the dark, and he had assumed it was the same for Katarina every time she said the same thing.<p>

He was wrong.

Right now, Katarina was walking closer to him than she usually did, and he noticed a different glint in her eyes. "Hey, you said you've been here before, right?" she said. "How—how long does this thing normally take?"

"Two hours? I forgot," he said, shrugging. "Why, are you scared?"

He resisted the urge to smirk when he saw her ears redden. "No way."

"You don't have to be so tough all the time."

"Psshh. I just am. C'mon, we have to look for an opening." She walked ahead.

Aaron chuckled softly to himself. _Adamant and stubborn, as always,_ he thought. _Just like…_

He shook his head to clear his thoughts. He had to focus.

* * *

><p>The tour guide may have been a good distance away from them, but Reagan and Jonah (who were caught somewhere in the middle of the whole tour group) could hear him perfectly thanks to the cave's echoes.<p>

"Hey, Jonah, are you paying attention to the tour guide?" Reagan asked.

"Yeah, are you?" Jonah threw the question back at her, and she nodded. "Y'know, this is giving me the creeps," he said.

"And if you'll turn a little to the side, you can now see the site where the Japanese soldiers bombed themselves to avoid capture," said the tour guide as he swung his flashlight beam down a narrow path.

"I—I'm getting a little creeped out too," Reagan confessed. Then she craned her neck and looked around. "I wonder where the others are—oh, there's Ham. Is he holding Sinead?"

"Huh? Where?"

"There, in front of that guy wearing a blue shirt. See?"

"Oh, yeah. Just by the shoulder. Say, have you seen Amy and Ian?"

"Them? Actually, no," she said thoughtfully. "Didn't they go in last?"

"They did?"

"Or they probably went in before us then got stuck at the back," she suggested. "Well, let's go to the front and catch up with Ham and Sinead." She started jogging ahead.

* * *

><p>"Amy? Amy, are you okay?" Ian's perfectly arched brow furrowed with worry as he looked at his companion.<p>

"Y-yeah," she managed to say. "I'm f-fine."

Ian resisted the urge to smile. Did she have any idea how adorable she was when she was terrified? He had this strange feeling of déjà vu—oh, that's right; this was just like Korea. "Look, there's the place where the Japanese soldiers bombed themselves," he said, shining the pocket flashlight Ysa lent him at a path.

Amy forced herself to look. "O-oh," she said weakly. Normally she'd be really intrigued, but she was too occupied by fear to have a closer look.

She heard him chuckle again, so she shot him a glance. "What?"

"You're scared, are you?"

"N-no, I'm not!"

"If you aren't, shouldn't you be looking closer?"

"I don't… want to."

The Lucian just snorted. "Come on then. We're getting left behind." Still holding her hand, he led her forward.

Amy looked over her shoulder, but all she saw was darkness. _I don't like this, _she thought.

* * *

><p><strong>Hai-yah. I am so sorry for the late update and if it's short, but it's already almost three in the morning here…<strong>

**For a description and some pictures of Malinta Tunnel's night tour, you can look here (just removed the dashes and replace the colon, slashes, and period :D): _ht-tp-colon-double slash-corregidorisland-dot-com-slash-malinta-dot-h-t-m-l_**

***Note: I personally have not experienced the night tour (I've only been to Corregidor once), so I'll be basing the rest of the Malinta Tunnel trip on several websites and pictures, and maybe even a video—that is, if I'm brave enough. Derp.**

**Please review! Thank you! :)**

**-TCDW**


	20. Danger in the Dark

**I'm finally back in the writing spirit, and it feels awesome. :D**

**On to the disclaimer, then: I don't own The 39 Clues!**

* * *

><p>"Well then, we've reached the end of the tour," said Apol cheerfully. "Since we finished earlier than the estimated time, I can spare you about fifteen minutes to explore by yourselves, but make sure you come back!"<p>

Everyone started murmuring in excitement and breaking off into groups. The tour started in the East Entrance, then they had headed to the North, and now they were about to exit through the West Entrance. Reagan, Sinead, Hamilton, Jonah, Ian, Amy, Lois, and Ysa stood in front of one of the blocked tunnels, discussing their observations in hushed tones.

"I was too scared to focus," Ysa admitted.

"Says the fourth-timer," Lois said, rolling her eyes.

"Shut up. As if you aren't."

"Stop it," Sinead said, and checked her watch. "We have about eight minutes left before we go to board the tramvia back."

"Maybe we can do a last-minute scouting," Reagan suggested. "Who knows, we might find something."

"I don't really like the sound of that, but since we have only one night here, let's go," said Jonah.

Each of them went in different directions, pausing in front of different tunnels and peering inside but not going in them. "Five more minutes," Apol the tour guide called out.

Ysa swore and was about to give up till she saw a weak light in the last tunnel she had looked into. "Wait!" she called out in Fukien.

Lois' head snapped around. "Did you find something?" she asked in the same language.

The Lucian-Madrigal gripped her cousin's shoulder and pointed in the direction of the faintly glowing object. "See that?"

"See what?"

"That!"

"What?"

"The light!"

"What light?"

"Argh!" Ysa hated conversations like this. "That reddish glowing thing! Can't you see it?"

"Oh, that? I can see it," said Lois.

Her poor cousin face-palmed. _Finally, _she thought. "Okay, I'm gonna go in and check it out." She started towards a gap in the wide wooden beams that blocked the entrance, but Lois grabbed her before she could move. "Oh no you aren't," said the Janus-Madrigal.

"Eh? Don't you want to see if that _is _Luke's ruby?" Ysa asked.

"I do, but it's too dangerous! We have to call—"

"Time's up! Everyone, please gather here for a head count before we return to the hotel!" Apol called.

Ysa tightened her grip on Lois' shoulder, but nothing that actually hurt her. "I'm going in there," she said adamantly.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! No way!" Lois tried to catch her, but failed and cursed when she saw the other girl standing just past the wooden beams that formed an X over the tunnel's entrance while grinning mischievously. "God, Ysa, are you this stubborn?" the Janus-Madrigal hissed.

Ysa was about to retort a witty comeback, but a hand clamped over her mouth and suddenly pulled her back, and with that, the Lucian-Madrigal was out of sight. Lois' eyes widened in horror as she saw the bane of their existence: her cousin, Aaron Valdez, and a girl who she was rather unfamiliar with.

Lois opened her mouth to scream, but the girl with Aaron dashed forward, grabbed her, and threw her into the dark cave. The last thing she saw was Aaron's pitiful smirk, and all went black.

* * *

><p>"<em>Kulang," (Lacking) <em>Apol the tour guide muttered.

"What's wrong? Why aren't we boarding yet?" Reagan demanded.

"We lack people," he said.

"Come to think of it, yo," said Jonah, "did you guys see where Ysa and Lois went?"

The Cahills exchanged glances. "Oh no," Hamilton muttered.

"We'll look for them," Sinead told Apol. "Can you leave us here, then come back for us later?"

"No, it's too dangerous," said the elderly tour guide, shaking his head. "You have to go back to the hotel with everyone else."

"But—"

"This is the first time an incident like this has ever happened during the night tour. I will call for a search and rescue team," he said. "Now, you kids go back to the tramvia."

Amy looked like she was about to protest, but Ian placed a hand on her shoulder and spoke in his most persuasive voice: "Sir, our cousins' lives are on the line. Would you really let us just sit and watch? They could be dying."

Apol seemed to lose his composure there. "But it's still too dangerous. The caves are no longer lighted by electricity and the debris from the war—"

"That's why we brought flashlights," said Ian, and everyone showed him the flashlights that they had been holding the whole tour. "We already had a bad feeling about this tour, and now our cousins are missing. What more proof do you need?"

Apol opened his mouth and closed it, then opened it again and said, "One hour."

Ian smiled his most sincere smile. "Thank you."

Once the rest of the tour group was out of the tunnel, the lights went out. Amy unexpectedly let out a squeak of fear and clamped a hand over her mouth in embarrassment.

"It's okay, Amy," said Sinead somewhere off to her left. "We're all here." Said girl held the flashlight under her chin, like those people on TV who told ghost stories.

"C-cut that out!" Amy said, and the Ekaterina laughed.

"Now, let's go look for Ysa and Lois," said Hamilton.

* * *

><p>Pain was the first thing Lois felt and blood was the first thing she saw. She tried to stand and immediately grit her teeth in pain when she did, feeling some sort of dislocated joint (her ankle, she guessed). Swearing in Fukien, she managed to grasp a crack in the wall and pull herself up. "Ysa?" she called. "Ysa—?"<p>

No answer. Her hand on the wall clenched into a fist as she tried to bear the pain and she willed herself to move forward. She may have lost her powers, but that didn't mean she lost her _will_power. Her cousin was one of the people she trusted with her life (well, her family too, of course) and she would never forgive herself if anything happened to Ysa.

She remembered the faint red glow Ysa had pointed out and saw its warm aura pulsing steadily, like a heartbeat. Pushing herself to go nearer, she was now convinced that Ysa wasn't as airheaded and happy-go-lucky as she (and everyone else) had thought. Resting among the rocks and fallen debris was a beautiful red ruby, perfect in every way except for the two miniscule depressions in its surface, as if someone had carved them out. She also noticed that they were shaped like a pair of two very small…

"Snake eyes," she whispered (in English). "It's… this one… This is the ruby…" Her head snapped up as she remembered her cousin. "Ysa!"

_Thunk! _Something that sounded suspiciously like metal hit a rock not too far away. Knowing that her pockets wouldn't be able to hold the ruby, she tightened her grip on the jewel and tried to make her way over to the source of the sound as quietly and carefully as possible.

"_I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell… I know, right now, you can't tell…"_

Lois let out a sigh of relief and quickened her pace. She looked for her flashlight and swore again, figuring she'd dropped it when she was thrown into the cave. Instead she held the ruby up and searched for her cousin. "Ysa, where are you?"

"Take about three steps… west."

She did as told, raised the ruby up again to look around, and nearly dropped it when she saw the figure sprawled out in front of her. "Holy crap!" she exclaimed.

Her cousin's clothes were all dirty and stained with blood. Lois immediately bent down to her and twitched slightly when she saw the gaping cut above Ysa's right eye. "You freak out at the sight of blood," said Ysa, pulling herself up into a sitting position and gasping.

"Broken ribs, eh?" Lois threw a glance over her shoulder and saw that they weren't too far away from the entrance they'd taken. Resisting the urge to look at her cousin's wound again, she cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled at her loudest voice: _"Heeeeelp!"_

* * *

><p>Jonah and Reagan were pretty much exhausted. Their throats ached from repetitively calling out the missing Representatives' names and no one had brought water, plus their entire bodies ached. While Hamilton, Amy, Sinead, and Ian continued the search, Jonah started tap-dancing. Well, that was what Reagan thought, at least.<p>

"Hey, could you cut that out? It's annoying," said the Tomas.

The Janus held up his hand in the universal "wait" gesture, his eyes closed and head bobbing to a beat that only he could hear.

"Stop your ridiculous tap dancing."

His eyes opened. "I wasn't tap dancing. There's a great difference between scratching your sneakers on rough ground and tap dancing, ya know?"

"Ugh, just stop whatever you're doing." She stood up and walked over to one of the entrances they'd inspected earlier, then knocked on one of the wooden beams blocking the tunnel's mouth. _Tok, tok, tok. Tok, tok, tok. Tok-tok-tok-tok, tok-tok._

"Not bad," said Jonah, and he went over to do the same on another beam. He started knocking on them, but later added pats so it was as if he was playing the drums. Then he gave Reagan a look, as if to say, _Can you do better than that?_

She rolled her eyes in a _duh _way and started furiously striking the wood in any way she could, then threw the look back to him. _Beat that!_

Just as he raised his hand to start on a new pattern, they heard different sounds—a scream and—

"_Bloody hell, Lois, let me go! Ouch!"_

"_No way! You can't even breathe!"_

"_Shut up!"_

Reagan and Jonah exchanged shocked glances. "Ysa? Lois?!" they called.

"Help!" They couldn't tell who was speaking, but that didn't matter; as long as the Reps were alive, everything would be fine.

"Ham! Ian! Sinead! Amy!" Reagan shouted. "They're here!"

The four immediately ran over, just as the two missing girls emerged from the dark. Lois was carrying Ysa piggyback style, while the other had her arms around Lois' neck and seemed to be holding something. Ysa had a big wound above her right eye. "Explain later," the Janus-Madrigal wheezed. "Help now." Before anyone could say a word, her knees gave way, and both girls fell.

Ian lunged forward and caught Ysa, while Hamilton managed to prevent Lois from hitting the ground. "What's that in your hands?" the Snake Prince asked, adjusting so he could hold the injured girl better.

Ysa smiled weakly and opened her hands. _"Zhăo dào le," (Found it) _she said.

"It's the ruby," said Sinead, eyes wide with shock.

Everyone's eyes were on the glowing jewel in the Rep's hands. "It's so beautiful," Amy murmured.

"Oy, you kids! Are you alright?"

They turned, and Ysa immediately hid the ruby again. "It's the tour guide," she whispered. "Rescue team…" Her head lolled.

"Ysa!" Lois said. "Ysa, you can't fall asleep!"

Ian shook the girl in his arms. "Ysa, wake up," he said.

She twitched with surprise. "Oh… uh, I'm sorry," she mumbled. "But—the ruby—"

"Give it to me," said the prince in a kind, calming voice. "I can keep it for you, then we'll have a look at it tomorrow morning. How does that sound?"

Her eyelids closed halfway and she nodded. "I'll get it later," he told her in the same voice. "Don't worry, alright? Focus on getting better."

She nodded again. "Hey," said Apol the tour guide. "You—_Diyos ko! _What happened?"

"I told you something bad happened," said Ian, smiling as if to say, _Oh well._

"We need to get you to the infirmary," said Apol. He called over the paramedics who brought stretchers, and Ian and Hamilton gently laid Ysa and Lois on them. _"Konting tiis na lang, ha," (Bear it for a little longer okay?) _said the old tour guide.

The cousins nodded as they were carried away. "Wait, Ian, the ruby—?" Sinead gave the Lucian a questioning look.

Ian flashed his signature smirk and opened his hand, revealing his ancestor's glowing red jewel. "Once a Lucian, always a Lucian," he said.

"All right," said Jonah with a grin. "Let's all go make sure they're alright, yo!"

They followed Apol out of the tunnel and into a bus. Amy looked over her shoulder at Malinta Tunnel looming behind her, and decided it would be bad if she got left behind.

* * *

><p><strong>Gah. I'm so sorry for the late update. (I blame Uta no Prince-sama! Insanely good-looking guys who can sing and dance and—gah, I'll shut up now.)<strong>

**So, yeah, the twentieth (well, nineteenth, if you don't count the prologue :P) chapter is up! Thank you for sticking with me from the start till now, everyone, and I hope you'll still be with me till the end!**

**-TCDW**


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